Sunrise
by Anonymous 327
Summary: PostTwilight. TATE. Yes, I haven't updated in a while. Blame it on my account here. Stay tuned for more soon.
1. Introduction

Sunrise

Disclaimer: Kate's dead--does it look like I own NCIS?

Rating: PG/PG13...not quite sure yet.

Pairing: TATE and KIBBS are both in here, TATE will probably eventually take over.

Spoilers: General, mostly Twilight.

Hey, did any of you guys tape Twilight? Cause I think my tv broke--it had Kate die. But I know that couldn't have happened...could it of? But really, I was so upset over that! It really sucked! I couldn't get away from it anywhere! I wanted to get my mind off it so I picked up a magazine, and what do they have an article on? NCIS!

I mean, I can understand if Sasha Alexander wanted out. But to kill her? Why not she gets seriously injured and has a less stressful role? Or has to quit for some reason and appears occasionally? No offense to Abby lovers, but Kate was like the whole woman dynamic!

What really annoys me, is I know they are going to replace her with another girl. And we are all going to start to like her. I swear to God, if they try and make her like Kate I'm gonna be really mad. If she is another kick Tony's butt kinda woman, I won't like her. Only Kate can do that. And they better not keep Kate out. Like, everything go back to normal. Even in a few years, I hope she's not totally forgotten by the rest of the team.

Anyway, its kinda ironic. I babysit on Tuesday nights, so I always tape NCIS. I really love it that much! I'm so glad (since they aren't on DVD yet) that I did that. Now at least I can go back to when Kate was still alive. sniffles And watch my favorite TATE moments.

I have to admit, Twilight did have its good points. The whole Fornell marrying Gibbs' ex wife was HILARIOUS! It really was. And, there were some excellent TATE moments in there. When Kate was talking about Tony when he was behind McGee's desk, I died laughing. That was so good! And she actually said "marry" not date. She pretty much admitted she was totally crazy about him...Plus, the whole snake scene, what McGee said about what Tony told him Kate had tried to do in Paraguay, when Kate told Tony she was going to get him into bed, (and Tony's reaction there was totally priceless! Did anyone notice how he was grinning and gazing at her!) and the whole beginning, when McGee and Kate were talking. Kate's face was so fun to watch when she was talking about an X-rated Peter Pan.

And there was some KIBBS in there, too. When Gibbs covered her up when she was sleeping--that was really cute!

One thing, it seemed to have been ignored because of Kate, but is Gibbs really going to resign? The episode was not making that too clear….anyway, I'm anxious for season three to start—It will be interesting to see everyone's reactions.

Sheesh, my author's note is almost longer than my intro chapter now. Funny! (and I know this is kinda short. I have three more chapters written, I just need to type them up. I don't know how long its going to go on for.)

Sunrise

Introduction

Warm, wet, and sticky. Tony winced, eyes closing as he felt the blood splash his face. He had a vague recollection of scanning the area surrounding the, looking for the sniper. When Gibbs pulled his own weapon, he whispered, half in threat, "Ari."

Tony dropped to his knees by Kate, her hair surrounding her head, limp and weighted with the blood that had poured from the fatal wound. The bullet had entered directly through the middle of her forehead, piercing her skull, as a through and through. It was partially wedged into the concrete wall behind them.

Warm, wet, and sticky.

Not only on his face, but drenching the knees of his pants. Staining his hands, not just physically, but emotionally, as he brushed his thumb across her face, already going cold as the life drained out of her. As if it exited the hole in her head with the bullet. His hand caught on the bullet, the one that still lay in her vest over her stomach. Just a few minutes before, they had thought Kate was dead. Finding the bullet caught in her vest had given so much relief to both agents. Even Gibbs showed, in his own way, that he was openly glad to find Kate alive. He actually praised her for completing her protection detail duty. But she wasn't done yet. Of course, she couldn't know she was taking the bullet through her head for her boss. But Tony was sure that Kate, with her own training and character, would have taken it anyway. She would have done it for Gibbs; she would have even taken it for him. That was just Kate.

Tony jerked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "She's gone, Tony?" The older man asked in question. Tony merely nodded. As if there were any doubt! The blood, the bullet, her open eyes staring blankly up, unmoving. But Gibbs was just trying to hide his grief-his anger. Tony remembered when Ari had first gotten away. Gibbs was furious in general, but when he found out the Al-Quaeda man had Kate, he was totally consumed with finding the terrorist. When he had later shot Ari, it was because of Kate. It was almost like a rival between the two men over the young woman.

"You get him?" was all Tony said, without looking into his boss' face, knowing he would see the stormy, cold obsession, haunting Gibbs. Perhaps accompanied by grief--something he had never seen on the man.

Tony could almost hear Gibbs' Jaw tightening, and his heart sank.

"We're gonna get him, Tony."

Tony finally met his boss' eyes, tearing how own away from his dead partner. "You keep saying that, boss. No matter what government agency is protecting him, you could have shot to kill last time."

Gibbs held his gaze for a minute, then reached for his phone. "We need to get her out of here."

Footsteps, running, sounded in the distance. Tony and Gibbs pulled their Sig Sauers, turning and swinging them nearly in the face of a very startled McGee.

"They blew out my system, boss, and uh..." his eyes moved around nervously, and they lit on Kate. "Oh, gosh. Is she...?"

"Does it look like she's dead, Probie!" Tony fumed. "Only shot right through her forehead. Only a loss of tons of blood. Yeah, I'd say she's dead!"

He could have sworn he saw McGee's eyes turn sympathetic. The youngest agent had pretty much been the only one of Kate and his friends to see they could have had something between them Since Kate's words the day before, even though she tried to get him to think she was joking, he had thought about them. Neither of them had ever acknowledged it--for some reason both avoided their hearts totally. Now that he had been allowed a glimpse into Kate's, it was too late. She was dead, and he had to live without her. Everything she was to him. To him, she was everything.


	2. Chapter One

Sunrise

Chapter One

Gibbs froze when he heard Tony's words. On the outward, he kept his steely face, but inside he was seething. What had he said a few moments earlier? "For once, Dinozzo is right." Darn right he was. Ari could have been dead a year ago, and Kate would have many years ahead of her. The one shot he took could have gone through the terrorist's forehead. Haswari would be lying dead, blood surrounding his head, bleeding on the floor of autopsy. Lying on a table in autopsy, with Ducky and Palmer leaning over him, ready to converse over his anatomy. Instead of Kate, who was lying on the ground at a harbor in Norfolk, Virginia. Ready to be zipped into a body bag by a coroner. Who would have thought--Kate was always the one to watch a body being taken by the medical examiner. Now she was the victim. It could have been someone else.

And it was himself Al-Quaeda was after, not Kate, thought Gibbs. It should have been him. The bullet was meant for him. If he did not have the guts to kill Haswari once, for fear of the FBI, or the knowledge of him being a "double agent", Ari should have sent the bullet through his brains. Kate was doing nothing but protecting him. He knew Kate was terrified of Ari. It had taken more courage then she let anyone know to come here, realizing she might come face to face with the captor she has suffered emotionally so much with. Gibbs was probably the only one who noticed the fear in her eyes the whole case. She was trying to do her job--trying to protect him, trying to protect the families and friends of hundreds of Marines, trying not to let anyone, especially Dinozzo, see her terror of the "double agent."

Gibbs mind wandered, as he watched Tony glaring down at McGee, back to a case a few months ago when he had sent Tony and Kate to Paraguay. Investigating a Naval Intelligence professor, they had sat in on one of his lectures. It had been about double agents. What kind of threat does a double agent pose? The man had asked this question. A young sailor had answered, "He could double-cross you back, sir."

Gibbs almost laughed. What a fool Fornell had been! What a fool they'd all been, to let their trust go to the man. The man that was responsible for the terrorizing of on eof his best agents, and finally the death of her. For disabling Gerald. For shooting him. For trying, several times, to kill innocent people. And he wasn't going to stop until Gibbs was dead. And many others with him.

"We're gonna get him for you, Katie," Gibbs swore to himself, as he watched her being taken away.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The clear doors to the lab slid to the side to make way for Special Agents Gibbs and Dinozzo. Abby Sciuto glanced barely up from her computer.

"Hey, Boss-man. Err…I mean….Gibbs…you got any precious things for me?"

Tony, without a word, held a sealed evidence bag in her face.

"Ooh, now that bullet is a ballistic beauty!"

She met Tony's eyes and gasped.

"Tony…..I….dream…your face!"

Tony lifted his hand to his face, where the blood of his partner had dried. He and Gibbs exchanged glanced, but when Tony remained silent, Gibbs spoke up.

"Abbs….I don't know how to tell you this…."

Abby gasped again as she turned pale. "McGee?"

"Not Probie….its Kate…." Tony finally spoke, dropping the bag on Abby's keyboard.

Abby closed her eyes, her dark eyeliner showing clearly, while the shock in her eyes was hidden.

It took a few minutes for her to control her emotions, and she opened her eyes. Tony was already heading towards the door.

"Tony?"

He paused, without turning.

"Tony, I'm sorry." Abby said to his back. He did not acknowledge her, but it was apparent that he heard her as his shoulders slumped and he walked out. Gibbs took one more look at Abby's stricken face, and followed his senior field agent.

Abby took the figurine from her desk, and looked at it hard.

"I told you it would happen one day, didn't I?"

Getting nothing but a blank stare in response, she threw it down, and buried her head in her hands.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The bullpen was unearthly silent. Gibbs had the picture of Ari he had gotten during that first unexpected visit up on the plasma, and he was staring at it grimly. Really, the only sound was McGee venting his anger by typing up his case report to Director Morrow. The unmistakable sound of the backspace key was heard frequently. Tony was staring at Kate's empty desk, not believing that she would not soon walk into the office, fresh and happy.

Gibbs finally turned with a heavy sigh. "You call in her parents, Dinozzo?" he asked.

Tony turned white. Call Kate's parents? Tell them that their oldest daughter was at the moment lying on a slab in a coroner's office, fatally shot by a terrorist whom they had had the opportunity to kill before he killed? Tell them that their daughter's death could have been prevented, hoping they'd find comfort in the fact that she was killed saving thousands of lives?

Not the hope they were looking for, thought Tony. Not the hope he was looking for, either. They couldn't even let them know that he was captured. Revenge is better served cold? Sure, that would comfort them.

"Uh, Boss?" It was McGee who spoke. Gibbs glanced at him, eyes shooting daggers.

"I've got your coffee here—if you want it."

"Do I look like I want it?"

"Uh…"

"I don't!"

"Okay….umm…isn't it…isn't it your job to call Kate's parents?"

The last part was added hopefully. Tony shot McGee a look of thanks. Probie was just trying to spare him the pain. At least Abby and he were being thoughtful.

And why had Abby specifically told _him _was sorry? Was it really that obvious he was totally numb with devastation? That Kate meant more to him than he told anyone? Had they all seen it? Why hadn't he done something before it was too late?

"Katie, you can't leave me—us—here," he thought to himself.

Tony caught Gibbs looking strangely at him. It wasn't a why-are-you-disobeying-me look that he normally got. It was an Am-I-putting-too-much-painful-responsibilty-on-Dinozzo look. A part of him wanted that look; part of him wanted to buckle up and do his job.

Which, at the moment, was to fight for Kate.

Tony reached for the phone, and punched in some numbers.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Todd?"


	3. Chapter Two

Hey, guys, thanks for your reviews! Its people like you who keep me going, I'm glad you are enjoying the fic!

Also, I mentioned this has both KIBBS and TATE in it. This is primarily a TATE story, I love that ship. However, I do see what others see in KIBBS, so, as long as Kate is dead, I'm going to add some of that. Only because I could have seen Gibbs falling for Kate, although it should be Tony.

It will be a while before I get any more up. We've been having computer problems, and I'm going to be in Nashville for at least a week…..

So, enjoy!

Chapter Two

Anthony Dinozzo walked up the steps and opened the doors of the church that Kate attended when she wasn't working. It wasn't as big as Tony thought—he remembered Kate inviting him several Sundays. She had warned him it was a "different church" than the large, traditional Catholic church he went to as a kid. She had claimed it was rather contemporary.

He walked in, and it smelled suspiciously of fresh flowers. The sanctuary was lined with rows of chairs, and Tony saw Abby and McGee occupying two of the quickly filling seats.

He glanced around, seeing few familiar faces. Besides Abby and Probie, he only recognized Gibbs, Ducky, a few other co-workers, and Sandy and her mother. Tony slipped into the seat beside the last two. He placed a hand on the shoulder of the blind girl Kate had befriended, greeting her. At the touch of the friend of one of her closest friends, the little girl threw herself at Tony, and cried into his shoulder.

Soon after, the ceremony started. The FBI had insisted on having the body, and releasing it to the mourning family, delaying Kate's service. None of Kate's co-workers liked the FBI taking over, but they were too drained to put up much of a fight. Tony was glad to be here, finally. Yet, he was glad to go when the service ended. Sitting, trying to control himself, while others freely expressed their feelings.

When the ceremony ended, Tony tried to avoid those he knew, ready for a breath of fresh air outside. He paused at the door, where Kate's family stood, awkwardly glancing from them to the door. He was going to slip past them, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Kate's petit mother, her face sad, but resigned to her daughter's fate.

Tony's voice went dry. "Mrs. Todd……I'm…."

Mrs. Todd interrupted him. "You're Special Agent Dinozzo, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tony looked inquiringly into her eyes, trying to ignore a young man who watched him stiffly. Tony knew he was Kate's twin brother.

Kate's mother reached into her handbag, pulling out a plain French envelope. His name was written across the front in Kate's clear handwriting.

"She cared so much about you, Tony. When you were sick, after she got home, she called me and cried while she talked about you. She told me, seeing you so close to death, that she was so scared. Katie wrote this two weeks ago, and said if anything happened to her to make sure you got this." The woman touched his face fondly.

Tony took the envelope numbly, handling it carefully. He could almost picture Kate writing—

His thoughts were interrupted as a hand firmly clamped on his arm. He looked into the face of Kate's brother. His eyes were stormy, actually, they reminded Tony of Gibbs'.

"Tell me," he whispered lowly, "Did you do everything you could to save her?"

Tony stiffened, and blinked, preventing the tears from coming. He felt the hand loosed, and Brett backed away. Yet, he was still waiting for an answer. He kept his eyes on Tony, face growing darker as the agent remained silent.

He then spoke up suddenly. "I wish she was here as much as you do, and I would have done anything to save her."

Brett stared at him as he walked out, looking only half satisfied.

The cemetery was crowded with mourners as the casket was lowered into the ground. Tony was still clutching the envelope, not wanting to let go.

A shrill shriek interrupted the crowd. A young boy, maybe about five, started to scream, tears streaming down his young face, "Don't put Aunt Kate in the hole! Don't!" His yells faded away as Kate's oldest brother, the boy's father, carried him away.

_Don't put Kate in the hole._

It was exactly what Tony felt.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

He loosened his tie as he closed his apartment door behind him. He kicked off his shoes, grabbed a bottle of water, and threw himself on his couch.

Tony fingered the envelope, the scent of Kate still smelling freshly on it. Just a few weeks before, Kate herself was handling this. She had written it for him. It was like she knew she was going to die.

Probie had said she hinted at something like that.

"There's a chance one of us might die every time we walk through those doors," she had said. Kate had almost been obsessed with the thought—she had gone over the top with protection detail. Since he was infected with Y. Pestis, death had consumed her. Tony had been right about one thing—Kate worried about everything.

Tony slid his finger under the seal, opening the envelope. He carefully pulled out a folded, delicate piece of paper. Before reading the note, he stared at the paper. Kate's handwriting was almost the same as always—except it was written with a shaky hand, and the ink was smeared a tiny bit in placed. She had been crying as she wrote.

May 2005

Dear Tony,

If you are reading this, then I am gone now. Strange, when I decided to become a federal agent, fighting death was what I wanted. Starting with Presidential Protection Detail with the Secret Service, and now here, I thought that is what I would do. And I thought I _was_ doing it. Until you were infected with pneumonic plague. You had a fifteen percent chance of living; no antidote. We had little hope—we thought you were really going to die. All I could to was watch you die.

I never really was scared of death before. Not scared of death itself, but scared of leaving people I love behind. Without them knowing how much they mean to me.

But I've had to face death so much—here at the agency, with my job; seeing my family come so close. I've seen you close to death before, but then I could do something. Tony, in the hospital, I was totally helpless.

You said once I worry too much. That I need to loosen up a little. (Actually, you've said that way more than once) Maybe you are right—for once. Maybe I'm just being strange. But for some reason, I feel like I need to tell you something. I'm not even sure what exactly. I just want you to know, now that I'm dead, that you've been a great friend, and I care a lot about you. And remember, even now, I still know your college nickname.

You can tell the others…well, I don't know what you can tell them but simply that they've been great.

So, you've already had your goodbye. This is mine.

I wish you the best, Tony.

Katie

The young agent read and re-read the letter.

_Wish you the best._

The best? How could he have the best without her? How could he have anything without her?

She had signed it Katie. She hated it when he called her that. Always. He would get elbowed—hard—in the ribs or worse if he tried it. Yet she would sign her letter with that "i." What a difference one letter made to the agent.

Anthony Dinozzo folded the letter, and placed it in a desk drawer. On top of the desk, his eyes caught on a picture. A few months ago, Kate, Abbs, McGee, and himself had gone kayaking in the Chesapeake Bay. It had been Abby's idea, and although Gibbs stayed home, preferring to building a boat rather than being in one, the others had so much fun. It was McGee who had taken the picture of Tony and Kate, both in life vests, Tony leaning over with his arms out as if to push Kate into the water. She was grinning from ear to ear.

Tony stooped to examine the picture closer.

Kate looked so happy,

What had happened?

To clear things up, the Sandy in here is the Sandy from See No Evil. I couldn't remember her last name, but if you've seen that episode, you probably remember her. That episode was one of my favorites, and I always felt sorry for Sandy after her dad was arrested, so I had to sneak her in.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Going back to work was something Tony was not looking forward to. To sit and do what he always did. Except now, it wasn't to be done with Kate. He would have to sit and face her empty desk. It still remained as it was—Gibbs never allowed anyone to touch it. He couldn't sit across from her, catching her eye and making a face at her, or shoot spitballs when no one was looking. They couldn't email or instant messenger each other (even if they were in the same room) about Gibbs' foul mood so he would not know that they were talking about him. No one to annoy, no one to harass, no one to help him harass—but most of all, no one to secretly love.

He leaned against the elevator doors, and they finally opened. Stepping out, everything went quiet. Sympathetic glances were shot towards him. The whole office knew: it was not easy losing one of your own.

Agent Dinozzo flung his backpack on the floor, refusing to look at his partner's desk. Maybe it was better to avoid it all together.

Still, when the others had gone for lunch, he had made his way to Kate's desk. He sat in her chair, thinking to himself, when his eye caught on her sketchpad. Absent-mindedly, he flipped through the pages, until his finger stopped on a picture of himself. He was sitting at his own desk, feet propped up on it.

"She drew that the morning you came back."

It was McGee who spoke.

"She _sketched_ it. And I didn't ask any questions about it, probie." Tony snapped, jumping up and returning to his chair.

"You don't look like you are working to hard, McGee!" That would be Gibbs.

McGee looked up. "Uh….boss….we just get a hot case or somethin'?"

Gibbs turned toward the youngest agent. "Lets see, we buried one of our agents yesterday. I'll say we have a hot case. Now go, see if Abbs has anything yet!"

About ten minutes later, Gibbs' phone rang. Tony could just hear one side of the conversation.

"Yeah…Gibbs."

"He did what?"

"You let him do that?"

"Okay, thanks Abbs. He'll hang for that."

Tony peered at Gibbs curiously.

"What did McGee do?"

"Nothing," Gibbs said tightly. "It just appears Agent Fornell does not understand the word 'jurisdiction.'"

Tony grimaced. "If Ari was smart, he would have shot Fornell," he muttered to himself.

"We had some blood samples for Abbs over this case, and the FBI comes storming in here demanding all evidence connected to the case."

"What are they so interested in this anyway?" asked Tony. "I mean, besides the fact they made the biggest mistake on their lives by trusting that piece of trash and letting him into our government."

Gibbs did not acknowledge him. Instead, he marched up the stairs towards M-TAC. However, he paused a few steps up, and turned to Tony.

"It should have been me, Dinozzo. It should have been me."

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Agent Fornell," growled Gibbs into the headset as he watched the Hoover boy on the plasma.

"Gibbs," the other agent acknowledged. "Let me begin by saying I'm very sorry about Agent Todd. She was a lovely young woman, so full of promise as an—"

"Kate's gone because of you, Tobias. If you have something important to say, spit it out. If not, I don't want to hear your guilt ridden consolements.

"Wait a minute, Gibbs. I wasn't the one who insisted on getting involved in a FBI case."

"It became my case when he held Kate and my M.E., as well as his assistant, captive.

"And," continued Fornell, "I was not the one who dragged my team to their fate whether they wanted it or not."

"We saved many lives there, Tobias. Although one was lost, we all willingly went, and would do it again."

"But would you, Gibbs? Knowing Todd would die, would you give her up for thousands of others you don't know?"

Gibbs remained silent.

"You know, Gibbs, it is not my fault Todd is dead. If anyone's, it is yours."

"I will not be blamed for her death-Kate was my agent, and a good one."

"And you were growing too attached to her. It hurt you to see her so close to Dinozzo. So you're directing your hurt towards me You cannot do that, Gibbs. You gotta face up. Kate would still be here if it weren't for you."

"Yeah, if it weren't for me. If I'd a shot that scum when I wanted—shot to kill."

Fornell paused. "Well, the reason I called in---"

"You have something for this case, Tobias." Gibbs interrupted. "What do you want?"

"To put it simple, Gibbs? Director wants you off this case."

"Whose director?"

"Yours and mine."

"What!"

"I can't tell you anymore. We already received some evidence from Ms. Sciuto. I'm sending my agent over for the rest right now."

"The FBI has not business in this case!"

"We do, now. All the evidence. Absolutely no Gibbs tricks, do you understand?"

……………………………………………………………………

Tony jumped, startled, as a highly disgruntled Gibbs slammed some files on his desk.

"Boss?"

No answer.

"Fornell?"

"Yeah, Dinozzo, Fornell."

"What happened?"

"FBI took all out evidence to this case."

Tony's heart sank. "We're off the case, then?"

"No, Tony, we are not off the case. You think I'm going to let them walk away with the case? Think again. We have no evidence, but there are other ways to solve a case, whether the directors like it or not."

Gibbs pulled his Sig, and tossed the keys to Tony.

"Get the sedan, Dinozzo."


	5. Chapter Four

Bottom of Form 0

Chapter Four

Gibbs weaved crazily in between cars, his lips tight. Tony said nothing,

although he was full of questions. At first, leaving the District, the highway could lead them anywhere. But after a few sharp turns, the crowded capital turned into the charming Virginian countryside. With each turn, it appeared more and more rural, until they came to a familiar white farmhouse.

The young man knew it well. He and his boss had brought Kate home from here. She had been furious that she let Haswari take her, and even more so when he, and the DC cell, had cleared out of the assassin's headquarters. They had found her, locked up and alone, just as the "double agent" had said.

Why hadn't he killed her then? Was it because it would destroy his cover, making it impossible to launch missiles onto thousands of innocent civilians and military personnel? Or was it that he really wished to harm the Marine-turned agent, if it meant taking out his whole team?

Why would he do these things? Many years as a homicide cop with the Baltimore

Police Department could not answer that. Kate was the one with extensive

criminal psychology training. What had she said about Haswari?

"He wasn't in it for religion."

She had said he had made no mention of anything connected with religion. Not

your typical terrorist. But then, how did they earn that name?

He really had had everyone fooled. Even Kate, who had the most instinctive

instincts. She called it woman's intuition; Tony himself referred to it as

naturally field agent guts. She had possibly been more fooled than anyone had. Even after Gibbs had made it clear that "eyes will lie", she was convinced that it was something in his eyes that stopped her from stabbing him. Kate, who was trained to shoot first and ask questions later, not able to stab her captor! Stockholm Syndrome—perhaps, but there was something more. Something that both let her be terrified, and sympathize with Haswari. She had been wrong—and she had lived to see that. But she had not lived to fix the mistake. That was now their job.

Gibbs cleared his throat, and Tony realized he was already out of the sedan and waiting for him. He stepped out, and, although it was only May, felt a cold breeze blow through him. A shiver went down his spine, and not from the cold. When he and his boss had located Kate here, he searched the house, while Gibbs took the rest of the premises. Tony was the one to find Kate—cold, alone, tired, hungry—and angry. Yet still able to throw a smart-mouthed response to him. As always, she was herself. Kate, even a half a second before she was killed, was herself. She, no matter how hard she tried, could never be anyone else. Maybe that was what made her so different from the girls he dated. What made him love her so much.

Northern Virginia in late May was normally warmer. The cool breeze was

unexpected—and eerie. Like a bad omen.

"What are we looking for, boss?" Tony asked, uncertainly looking up at the

abandoned old house.

"Anything—anything we might have missed the first search."

"FBI primarily performed that search."

"Yeah, and with their thoroughness they probably missed something."

Tony nodded. "Okay, want me to throw a rock through the window, or climb through

the opened second story?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Dinozzo, sometimes I wonder how PD put up with you so

long. You are a special agent. Even a five year old who has done nothing but

read the Hardy Boys knows you pick the lock."

"Right……you read the Hardy Boys as a kid, boss? I always was more into Nancy

Drew."

Gibbs snorted. "Why am I not surprised?"

Gibbs bent to the lock, picked it, and swung the door open. The downstairs

windows were all boarded up, letting no light in. Both agents turned on their

flashlights.

Although it had only been a year since Al-Quaeda abandoned their headquarters, the building looked as if it had not been touched in decades. The cobwebs, the musty smell, all the factors showed how disorder had taken over.

"Terrorists aren't much for cleaning up," Tony thought, as he watched flies buzz around the trash. It was obvious Al-Quaeda had left in a hurry—why else had they forgotten to take out the trash, or throw away the bloody napkin on the table?

That Gibbs bagged. "You want to take the upstairs, Dinozzo?"

As always with is boss, it wasn't a question. The agent nodded, and listened to the stairs creak under his own feet.It was brighter up here. Tony switched off his flashlight. He paused when he felt something squish under his feet. Mud. Funny, it looked fresh, but he hadn't remembered stepping in any.

He moved on, almost tripping over the broken leg of a sofa. He remembered that sofa from last time. It was in this room he had found Kate.

Maybe it was his guts, or maybe it was just a coincidence that he bent forward, pulling the cushion down.

A few papers lay, some in English, and some in Arabic under the cushion.

Of course! A sofa—the FBI should have found this—that was an obvious location. Most drug users hid their crack in a cushion or mattress.

He bent closer to examine the papers in English. "Ari Haswari, Washington DC,

USA." He read. These looked important. Why hadn't Al-Quaeda come back for them? Hearing footsteps behind him, he called out.

"Gibbs, you really gotta see this."

No answer.

He heard a shot, just as he whirled around, letting something sharp graze his

shoulder. The force knocked him down, and he hear more shots, not at him this

time, and finally a motorcycle fleeing in the distance.

Breathing hard, things went foggy.

He could barely hear his boss saying, "Stay with me, Tony," and hear him whip

out his cell phone, saying into it, "In need of assistance. I got an agent

down!"

"Stay with me, Tony," he heard it again, almost as a whisper.

Then everything disappeared into a world of darkness.


	6. Chapter Five

Thanks to all you reviewers! Keep it up, I really appreciate it!

Also, I want to apologize for the long delays between updates. I swear, McGee couldn't fix the problems I have with my computer! And I apologize for the last chapter's format. It seemed okay in Word, but when I transferred it over to the site, it got all messed up….

Finally, for those who haven't heard, CBS announced a tentative date for season 3 to start—Sept. 20!

Chapter Five

"And he should be just fine. It just grazed him," and the voice laughed, "But whoever this Kate girl is he called to in his sleep, you better get her here fast!"

Kate! Tony did not open his eyes, but he knew something was wrong. Something had happened to Kate. And where was he? It smelled---clean. Actually, more like sickeningly sanitized.

Hospital. Again. Kate. Dead. Haswari. Al-Quaeda headquarters. It all rushed to him

His eyes shot open, and he saw his boss gazing at him, concerned.

"You okay to roll, Dinozzo?" he asked, doubt playing in his icy eyes.

The younger agent groaned, but then sat straight up. "The papers!"

Gibbs looked puzzled. "What papers?"

"I—I found some….I think they were from Haswari's contact in the Middle East."

"Okay, I'll swing by the office, and trade you in for McGee. We'll get 'em, Tony." …………………………………………………………..

"Where were you!" Probie asked. "I've tried your cell for hours!"

Gibbs filled him in, and told the youngest agent to meet him outside.

The older man started towards the elevator, when McGee stopped him, hand still on his gear.

"You gotta see this, boss!" He pointed to the plasma, where the news network was playing.

" Authorities have not determined the cause of the fire. However, they are positive it is intentional."

The screen showed a farmhouse burning to the ground. A familiar farmhouse.

The reporter continued. "If you have any information, please contact Fairfax County Police Department. Back to you, Craig."

"Thank you, Stacey, and now for a look at the Nationals' game, followed by your seven day forecast…."

McGee stared at the screen, glumly. "Whatever was in there, it's gone now."

Gibbs nodded grimly. "Only because Al-Quaeda wanted it destroyed."

Gibbs reached into his pack, pulling out a sealed evidence bag. It was the bloody napkin he had bagged. He tossed it in McGee's face.

"Get it to Abbs, now!"

…………………………………………………………….

"Don't think you can sneak up on me Gibbs!" Abby whirled around, facing her boss. "You still don't think I believe you are getting sneakier in your old age, do you?"

"Hey, I'm younger than your biology professor when you---"

Abby glared at him. "Who told you that?"

"Well, Abbs, the older I get, the sneakier I get, the better looking I get, and, the more I listen to Tony's gossip. You can really learn a thing or two about people from him."

Abby pressed her lips together. "You know, that is true. How else would I know that you had so many demerits in the Corps, or that McGee wasn't potty trained until he was six, or that Kate's….." her voice trailed off.

Gibbs immediately lost his playful mood, and asked gruffly, "You got anything?"

"Take a look in the 'scope," she replied.

He squinted into it. "I just see a bloody rag," he confirmed.

"Well, that proves one thing."

"What?"

"The older you get, the worse your vision gets. That's not just a bloody rag, it's an old bloody tissue. Those are the fibers from your tissue, and I'd say its Scott."

"Huh?"

"The brand, Scott? But that's not very exclusive—way too common."

Gibbs looked at the technician impatiently. "Do you have anything important?"

"Well, here's where it gets interesting. I wasn't able to extract epithelial, but I did get a blood type." "Yeah?" "O positive. Most common. But I do have a hunch."

"I'm listening."

"Well, Kate…she…was O positive. If I recall correctly, Kate was given a tissue for her bloody lips. At the table you found this. This blood has been here for sometime. Probably a year. And this pattern, " she pointed to the blood stain, " could easily be the right size and shape for her lip."

"Sounds kind of far fetched, Abbs."

"Just tryin' to give you something, I said it was a hunch."

Gibbs stared in the microscope while his heart sank. "This isn't going to help us, then?"

" 'Fraid not, silver haired one."

………………………………….

"That….that…trash was taking shots at you, Anthony?" Ducky asked, perplexed, as he carefully examined Tony's wound.

"Yeah, but we're—Ouch! Easy there, Ducky!"

"Yes, yes. I've realized you've seen more hospital lately than you care to admit."

"And more funerals."

"Ah, and its one to many, is it not, my boy?"

The "boy" sent a suspicious look towards the eavesdropping Jimmy Palmer. Duck caught his glance, and nodded to his assistant. "Uh…Mr. Palmer, the substance we found on Balboa's young commissary clerk?"

"Mr. Palmer" blinked, and then reality dawned on him. "Right, I'll get that to the lab."

"By all means, and you may want to stay and talk with Abby for awhile."

"But, Doctor, don't you think---"

"Go!"

And he went.

Ducky turned to Tony. "When I was in Vietnam, I treated a young soldier who's girlfriend was severely beaten, and finally imprisoned by the enemy forces. His whole life was then focused on revenge. Of course, he ended up committing suicide, but you didn't want to hear that."

"Ducky, I'm not suicidal."

"No, but you are a young man who lost what he desperately loved."

Tony pulled his arm from the doctor, temporarily forgetting the pain. "And it seems that everyone knew it except me! Why didn't I know? Why didn't you tell me?" he fumed.

The doctor shook his head soberly. "Anthony, if we had told you, would you have listened to us? And furthermore, you needed to find out for yourself."

"And she had to die for me to find out!"

"Did you ever think you took her for granted?"

Tony clenched his fists. "My life _will_ be focused on revenge. If it can't be on Kate, then it is going to be _for_ her."

Ducky looked as if he wanted to press the issue farther, but he did not. Instead, he quietly commented, "Do you realize how bent the terrorist is towards \destroying the team? Reminds me of the case where—"

"Ducky," Tony interrupted, suddenly sounding so weary.

"Of course. But….he's shot at Gerald, Gibbs, Caitlyn, now you…..and he kept us captive, Caitlyn twice. Do you ever wonder when he's going to stop?"

"That's the thing, Ducky. He's not—unless we stop him."


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"Call for you, boss. Claims you will want to speak with him; gave no name," McGee called to his boss, who had emerged into the room, coffee in his hand.

Good to see. Gibbs had not had a coffee since Kate was shot. Of course, who knew how much of the whiskey he stored in his basement had been consumed over the last few days. Probably more than Gibbs would like to admit. He claimed he only drank it after being around Fornell, or on one of his three wedding anniversaries. Then there was when ex-wife number two called on his birthday—to wish him something other than a "happy day."

It took something big to keep Gibbs off his coffee. Of course, for others around him, it took a lot of their sanity.

"If it's a case, give it to Balboa," Gibbs said.

"He's pretty adamant on speaking with you."

Gibbs sighed, and took the phone. "Yeah, Gibbs," he answered gruffly.

A gentle yet hated voice was heard. "Hello, Gibbs. And how is Special Agent Dinozzo? Sadly, I did not know him as well as I knew you and Caitlyn. I regret it most sincerely. You know I never had anything against any of you."

"As usual, you would feel no remorse over killing Todd, then?" Gibbs remained composed, but his heart was beating wildly.

Tony's eyes widened, and he reached for his own phone to pick up the line. Gibbs saw him, and shook his head. When it appeared the agent was about to disobey his boss, Gibbs gave McGee a nod.

McGee roughly pushed Tony away from his desk. "You aren't going to help things, here," he hissed, and Tony fell back into his seat, subdued, but listening intently.

Gibbs returned his focus to the phone, snapping his fingers at McGee to run a trace on the call.

"Ah, I am very sorry about Caitlyn. You know it was supposed to be for you. She took it for you, because I would never hurt Caitlyn like that."

"Never kill her? Just mess with her mind, like you've done for a year and a half?"

"More than that, Gibbs."

"Why did you call, Haswari?

"To give you my deep condolences. Oh, and to inform you: You cannot escape me forever, my friend. You cannot. Even as your friends fall down beside you, you will think you can escape. It is not going to happen, Agent Gibbs."

The click of the phone being hung up was heard.

"We've got it down to a two block location at Pennsylvania and Independence." McGee informed Gibbs.

"The very heart of DC. One of the most secured areas in the world." Tony added.

"Haswari has taken a large leap. From military base to this," Gibbs replied.

"You think he's going to bomb the White House?" McGee asked.

Gibbs thought for a moment. "No, he's planning something much bigger. Haswari knows we would trace the call. He's trying to distract us from his real plan, whatever it might be."

Tony stood up. "What are we going to do, boss?"

"What do you think, Tony? We're gonna find the psycho!"

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

His muscles tensed as he sanded the rough wood. Not a lot of progress had been made, he mused. Of course, more recently it had grown. He had been building this since—since ex wife three had left. The one that took the sailboat (it had to have been in her name) with her. Blasted woman!

He took a sip of his whiskey, then suddenly put his tool down, and leaned against the boat frame.

Kate should have been here with him. How he had longed to ask her to come with him, to help him, to watch him, or to keep him company. He was afraid—that she would laugh at him, ore worse, that she would do it, but then hurt him. Just like all women.

He was afraid that she was afraid he would hurt her. Three marriages were hardly a good recommendation. She was smarter than that. It wouldn't work out. He always knew she would have chosen Dinozzo, despite the game they played. Now she left the totally both alone.

Ex-wife one had left. He was lonely, he found wife two. She left, he grew hopeless. Wife three came along. She left, he grew tired of women. And they though Dinozzo was the one with commitment issues!

And then, when he most hated it, when he swore he'd never love again, a bright young new face appeared. Kate. And just as quickly, again when he most needed her, she was gone. Left him to a curse of eternal loneliness. Left Dinozzo to a lifetime of regrets. Left them all, with something that needed to be finished. That would never be completed.

Why live like this? Why let Haswari do it? He could shoot himself. Spare himself the agony. Tony would eventually come and find him. Or maybe three angry women waiting for their alimony checks. They would come in, and see him, like Kate, lying in his own blood. His self, his real self, would be with her.

Not down here.

Not hunting Ari.

Not making him pay.

But what good would he do? Tony and McGee could handle that. Oh, there was no doubt Tony would take every inch of life out of Haswari. And McGee would gladly help him.

It wouldn't bring her back. Haswari would be gone. With Kate. And the ones left would have years of endless suffering.

Gibbs reached for his gun, held it to his head, and closed his eyes.


	8. Chapter Seven

For those of you who thought that Gibbs was a little out of character in the last chapter, being suicidal and all, I thought the same thing. Outwardly he appears not the type. But he is the type to let things bottle up, something like this could just throw him off the deep end.

Chapter Seven

"Do you really want to do this, Gibbs?" the voice—that voice—interrupted him. Haswari!

"Ah, surprised to see me here, are we? I expected Agent McGee was not as thorough as Caitlyn in protection duty. After all, he's not here to throw himself in front of the bullet."

Gibbs gritted his teeth, finger growing sweaty on the trigger.

"But who's bullet?" the terrorist continued. "You wish not to die with the gun I, at this very moment, have pointed at you. So, shall it be your own? While I stand here?"

"I told you if you go near her, I will kill you," Gibbs spoke.

"And I told you, I would have it no other way," the terrorist responded.

"Then I hope you are more ready to die than she was."

"Oh, right. You and Agent Dinozzo both had unfinished business with Caitlyn. But tell me, Gibbs, how is it that you can be so sure that Caitlyn was dead?"

And with that, leaving Gibbs frozen, he left.

………………………………………………..

"I don't understand, boss. If he wants to kill you, why did he just leave? I would have shot you right there." Gibbs gave Tony a sharp glance. "Uh, that is, if I wanted to kill you….which I don't…."

"He wants something from me; don't you see Dinozzo? Something I can give him, something I don't have yet."

Tony looked thoughtful.

"And Tony, he said….he asked how we could be sure Kate was dead." Gibbs had left out that part.

"What!"

"Not possible, is it? Just a lure, right? I know what you are thinking. I think it, too."

McGee spoke. "I'm not. Yeah, I know you don't think I have instincts, or very good ones. I didn't want to speak up before, but now…."

"What is it, McGee!" the other two agents cried in unison.

"Something is telling me Kate is still alive," he continued, hoping he would not get the reaction he feared. He didn't. Well, sort of. Toy looked skeptical, but Gibbs stared at him long and hard.

"You really think so, McGee?" the man asked finally.

"Yeah, I do."

"Your instincts may or may not prove true……but we should look at all possibilities.

…………………………………………………

Tony stared at his computer screen. 1994. Kate on spring break. Acting with total dignity. Right….

She would kill him if she knew he had that picture. But he couldn't delete it.

Especially if she was alive. Because if she was, they would find her. And what would he tease her with if she came back.

It had been hard to think she was dead. It was possibly harder to think she was alive. Waiting for them. She wasn't alive, she couldn't be. He saw it happen. But still, he couldn't help but hope. She could come back. What if she did come back? What would he do?

Tell her everything? That he had loved her since he saw her on Air Force One? That his love had grown so much in the last two years? That he knew just how much after he lost her?

"She's way to smart for that," he had told Probie. Yeah, he had tried to avid the question McGee had asked him. His answer had been indirect. McGee had noticed it.

But what held him back with Kate was that very thing. She was too smart. She meant business. She wanted someone to spend the rest of her life, to have a family with. He did want these things, but with her only. Yet, she could not possibly consider him the ideal man for a family, at least a real family. Whatever she saw in him—Kate probably saw what everyone did—the lady's man. No the more mature-ready-to-settle Anthony Dinozzo. Not with his reputation.

Gibbs interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Tony, you should go home."

"I'm not leaving, boss, till we find him."

"Sitting there looking at that picture isn't helping—you might as well get some sleep."

"Boss, I-"

"Go, Dinozzo!"

………………………………………………….

Tony almost ran into Abby downstairs. She tried to smile, but Tony could tell it was fake. Like it had always been lately.

"Oh, hey, Tony….I was actually coming up for you. Got plans tonight?"

He smiled, weakly and just as fake. "What, wanna see DC's wild night side and hit a couple of bars?"

Abby looked sober. "No, I'm going to Kate's place. Her mom called, said they were getting her stuff out, and asked if we wanted to come, see if there was anything we wanted."

"Oh."

Both remained quiet a few minutes, then Tony spoke up. "I'll drive….hey, Abbs?"

"Yeah?"

"What about Tony?"

"Tony?"

"The dog?"

"Oh….oh my gosh! I totally forgot! Someone needs to get the beast!" She almost ran down the sidewalk.

"Wait up Abbs. The mutt can wait a little longer, " he called.

"Tony! Haven't you ever listened to Ducky go on about starvation?"

………………………………………………………………..

Even in the dark, Tony knew his way to Kate's Silver Spring, Maryland, condominium well. It wasn't the greatest looking place on the outside, but Kate had tastefully repaired the inside.

Tony had been to the condo several times. It was different now, however. Ghostly. Old memories of Kate resurfaced. Things he normally would not remember.

Comparing her to a Shih Tzu. He heard about that forever. Their "sessions" with Ducky. Well, that had only lasted one time. Paraguay. It was Kate's idea to tell Gibbs they couldn't catch a plane for two days so they could get some vacation time. Smoky Corners, West Virginia. He was way too comfortable around her. Michelle's annoying pone calls. Kate had taken care of that, saying she was his wife (which had given unspeakable glee), and gotten Probie to pay the $43.86 he owed. Well, actually just $40 of that.

Gosh, he missed that woman. And he still owed her money.

Frantic barking greeted the two friends of Kate as they reached the door.

Tony glanced at Abby. "Well, he's still alive."

When Kate's father opened the door, Tony the dog sprang out. Instead of his usual growl at Tony Dinozzo, he wagged his tail and licked him, sniffing warily.

"Come on in. We've got a lot in the truck, but there are a few things we thought you two might want to look at."

Abby almost immediately found what she came for—a chain she had given Kate last Christmas. Tony browsed through a box a few more minutes. He knew exactly what he wanted---

Tick. Tick. Tick.

An unmistakable sound. He'd heard it too many times in his lifetime, and recently.

"Everyone out!" he yelled.

Within a few minutes, the four were outside, watching Kate's home explode into a ball of flames.

I want to say, I know some of you aren't too sure about the whole idea of Kate coming back. I understand. But stay with me, more will be revealed. ;)


	9. Chapter Eight

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay. I've been swamped—had a lot of family stuff lately. It might be awhile bfore I post again.

Thanks for you who caught that I had Tony the dog as male. I knew that, I just must have been really tired that night!

Anyone see the interview with Pauley Perrette on the Late Late show? I never watch that kinda stuff, but I happened to hear about it, so I decieded to catch it. I thought it was really cool! I had no idea she had majored in forensics in real life. How ironic! (and I hadn't known we shared a birthday. Go March 27!)

Chapter Eight

"They know everywhere we are going, everything we do," Tony told Gibbs later that night.

"Maybe we should inform the director," McGee added timidly.

"Oh, sure, Probie. "Hey, Mr. Director. We need back up here, because we're all in extreme danger investigating a case. What case? Oh you know. The one you and the FBI, oh, and now the CIA, want us off. Uh-huh. That'll go over real well." Tony sighed. "We got any leads on Haswari?"

"I've got a theory," answered Gibbs.

"Yeah, can we hear it?"

"Well, we have to figure out what Haswari wants me for. I think I know the information he needs out of me."

"That being?"

Gibbs did not answer. He was thinking. Thinking way back.

"_Lieutenant Colonel Ried, sir!" the Marine gave a smart salute, which was returned by the colonel._

"_Gunny," the man acknowledged, " at ease. Good to see you again."_

"_And you, sir!" Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs replies. _

_The colonel sighed. "Gunny, you know I consider you a fine Marine. More than capable to earn your commission as a First Sergeant. However, Colonel Nylon is over me. He believes, because of the situation when you were a corporal, you have yet to prove this."_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_Colonel Nylon has selected you, Sergeants Smith and Holloway, under Second Lieutenant Dempsey, to perform a special task."_

"_Sir?"_

"_I realize you and the second lieutenant aren't on great terms, Gunny."_

"_We can get past that, sir."_

"_Gunny, I'd like to trust you on that. But, you've proved to have a slight problem with authority, specifically with Dempsey. This task will not allow for any of that."_

"_Yes sir."_

"_We are perfectly clear?"_

"_Sir, crystal, sir."_

"_You Gunny, are a Marine. You are a non commissioned officer. And you are here. 1991. A year in history, is it not? Kuwait. And we have a job for you."_

"_I hope to exceed your expectations, sir."_

"_As do I, Gunny."_

…………………………………………………

_Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs crouched low to the ground, raising a questioning eyebrow at Second Lieutenant Dempsey. It wasn't that he did not trust the officer. It was just, unlike himself, Dempsey was young. Inexperienced in real combat. Fresh out of Annapolis._

_Always, a NCO would be an advisor to a higher ranked, younger officer,. However, Dempsey did not appreciate Gibbs' advice. Maybe as a squad commander at the Academy, and a top student, he though he was capable. But one thing Gibbs knew that Dempsey, unfortunately, had not found out—you couldn't learn leadership on a campus. Real combat, real action, is what brought it. _

_Lt. Dempsey motioned to the three other Marines. They followed noiselessly out of the dark room. The two young sergeants crept directly behind the first lieutenant, but Gibbs remained behind a moment, before sighing, and following the members of his unit._

_Heavy machine gun fire rang out. Gibbs ducked behind, seeing the bright flashes from the lieutenants. One of the sergeants fell, and the other knelt beside him, checking him for signs of life._

_The fire ceased. Gibbs ran out to see Lt. Dempsey leaning over a dead Iraqi soldier. Two more heavily armed guardsmen lay on the ground, blood surrounding them. The lieutenant straightened up._

"_Sergeant Holloway!" barked the young officer to the man leaning ovr the dead American soldier._

"_Sir?"_

"_Get him out of here."_

"_Yes, sir."_

_The sergeant took the body of his friend and fellow Marine on his back, and disappeared back towards the base._

_Lieutenant Dempsey glanced back at the dead enemy soldiers._

"_Gunny, you are with me."_

_Gibbs bent over the dead soldier. "Lieutenant, sir!"_

"_Gunny?"_

"_This one's still alive."_

"_Look at him, Gunny, he's almost dead. Leave him."_

"_With all due respect, sir, I think—"_

"_Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs! Do you have a problem here?"_

"_No sir!"_

"_Good…you search him, I got the others."_

_The gunnery sergeant examined the body carefully. He pulled from the soldier's garments several well-guarded files._

"_Lieutenant Dempsey, you might want to see sir."_

_The officer paused, and looked through the several papers. His eyes widened as he read the few that had been translated to English. He motioned to the half-dead Iraqi. "We're right, Gunny, he's one of their top guys. Here, we need to take these back to our CO. You take these--!"_

_A shot rang out, and the young lieutenant fell to the ground, the papers flying around._

_Gibbs scanned the area. No sign of the sniper. Quickly, he gathered what he could of the scattered files, and returned to base._

…………………………………………

"_You did what Gunny?" Colonel Nylon demanded of the hard-faced Marine._

"_Sir, there was a sniper about. I gathered what I could, but my life was in danger, sir."_

"_You are a Marine, Gunny. Your life doesn't matter. Do you know" and the officer jerked a hand towards the few files,"know what these are?"_

"_Yes, sir."_

"_You can kiss the title first sergeant good-bye, I'm thoroughly disgusted with you. Go!"_

_And with a salute, the Marine left._

"What were in the files?" McGee asked, perplexed, after Gibbs had finished speaking.

"They contained information on a major attack on the United States."

"911?" inquired Tony.

"No, it was bigger. It contained the key information about breeches in security. Tony, I think you found the other half in that house. My CO destroyed what we had."

"And?"

"We were raided by Iraqi forces, he had no choice. They would have gotten their hands on it again."

"So," McGee began, "What does Ari Haswari have to do with this—I mean, so long after?"

Gibbs tightened his jaw. "I'm the only one left alive on Earth that knows what those files contained."


	10. Chapter Nine

Hey, all! Sorry for the delay—I'm seriously a little stuck on where to go from here. I know what I want to do, just not how to get there, you know? Anyway, I'm starting school Monday, so I don't know when I'll be able to update again. Hopefully soon!

Bottom of Form 0

Chapter Nine

Boss, you can't go home alone." Tony informed Gibbs, as he watched the man rise from his chair, gathering his jacket and other belongings.

"Yeah, Tony? I really don't care what happens to me anymore."

"McGee and I do. Which is why, at this moment, he is testing the surveillance at your place, and placing a team around the clock. I'm taking you over."

Within an hour, Tony and Gibbs were seated in Gibbs' basement. Gibbs' whiskey was suspiciously close to him, and Tone eyed it. Drown your woe with the bottle! he thought. Too bad it was eventually resurrected. Too bad the bottle eventually emptied. Was life full of too bads and what ifs and whys? Why? That one question kept going through his mind. Yet even if he knew the answer, the hurt would be the same.

Would it last forever?

Tony shifted in his seat. Awkward silence had smothered the room, since they entered. Gibbs was staring moodily at nothing, totally ignoring Dinozzo.

After several long minutes, Gibbs gave a heavy sigh, and finally met Tony's eyes.

"How _are _you doing, Dinozzo?"

Anthony Dinozzo paused. A strange questions—especially for Gibbs.

But how _was_ he doing? Was he "doing"? Heck, he wasn't. He wasn't living. He was barely being. He never thought life could be so—lifeless. So empty.

He had lived over thirty years of his life before he had met her. Thirty years! His whole childhood, his teen years, his college life—all the years that were supposed to shape your entire life.

But it was Kate who had done that. Not just shaped it, but changed it. On the outside he appeared the same, but deep down he knew he would have done anything for her.

He would have died to save her.

He should have died to save her.

But he hadn't. He could have, but he didn't. And now, here he was at Gibbs' house, and the said boss was staring at him, wanting—no, demanding—an answer. He took a deep breath, praying silently that he wouldn't break down in front of Gibbs.

"Well….boss…."

"You aren't okay, Tony! Don't say it! No one's 'okay'! Everything is wrong!"

Tony stared at Gibbs. His boss was voicing his heart—and if that wasn't strange enough, both of their hearts.

"Its all wrong, Dinozzo. For you, for me, for her family, for Kate herself," He took a large gulp of the whiskey, and continued, "Most of all for Kate herself! She wasn't even thirty yet, but she still had accomplished more than most. What could she have done--?"

Tony interrupted him. "Are you saying all she was was a good agent? That she could have done more to further the team? Not more to further her life? Not to get married, not to have the kids she always dreamed about? Only her capabilities as an agent matter to you?" He stopped. He knew it wasn't true; he knew Gibbs, no matter how he appeared sometimes, deeply cared. Kate was their agent, yes, but she was also a friend. To them, particularly. She was the only family they had. At least that cared about them.

Oh, Gibbs cared about Kate. But why didn't he, ever, for Pete's sake, show it? Not that Kate craved affection, in fact, she was the type that wasn't normally crazy about it, but she was human. She did need it. Did he himself give enough? That is, to Kate? What did she really consider him?

A friend. The closest of friends. No doubt about it, they both knew they shared an incredible bond. Yeah, they fought a lot; sure, they liked—enjoyed—getting on each other's nerves. But they also were there for each other—for little things and big. From a simple ride to work to staying in the hospital with each other.

Yeah, they were friends. And yeah, they both wanted more. But he could have shown it. He could have taken an extra step. Oh, he'd been so close those last few days when he had returned from sick leave. But he hadn't.

Gibbs' eyes seemed to soften, as Tony remained quiet. The older man finally grew brave enough to speak.

"Dinozzo, you….and Kate…you weren't…" he didn't need to complete the question, or hear an answer. The look in Tony's eyes said it all.

"You were," Gibbs finished.

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Lets the get the shot from the back running up, and we're all good to go," Agent Timothy McGee spoke into his headset, watching the final screen light up to life as the back of Gibbs' home was shown.

He remained quiet, watching intently all screens looking for any hint of danger. Everything seemed calm and peaceful.

Unlike the whole world around them.

Marines, Navy, Army, Air Force—all the military fought terrorism. With attacks and defense and combat.

But all wars weren't fought on a physical battlefield.

In Washington, D.C., the President sat in the Oval Office, commanding all. The West Wing fought with words. Generals strategically planned their moves. Intelligence officers chased for more information.

And then there was he, Timothy McGee.

Fighting for one who was practically a sister to him. Yeah, an older sister who mostly liked to pick on him, but who's frankly sensitive side sometimes showed through the hard exterior.

He remembered first meeting Kate. He even admitted, her strong, capable, independent attitude mixed with undeniably pure femininity had floored him. Intrigued him.

She could beat him up—he knew that. By experience.

Yet she was there.

An image flashed though his head. He was seated on the back of an ambulance, staring moodily at the ground. It was his first opportunity to alone review a case, and he was looking forward to proving himself successful to his teammates. It wasn't just the fact that he had undoubtedly sweet witness. He had to prove he was one of them.

And everything failed. But as he was sitting there, while Gibbs and Dinozzo moved on to the scene, it was Kate who came. Kate who came, and almost maternally, placed a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. She had made it right. Made him feel that he had done his best. That, at least she, thought "they'd make a field agent out of you yet."

Hopefully, she was right. And hopefully, his feelings about her being alive were, too, correct.

He might be the only one who thought she was live. Dinozzo and Gibbs couldn't, they went through her last minutes with her. He couldn't have succeeded even in destroying the missile. He could have been up there with them—with her. The thoughts whirled through his mind. But he knew one thing—now was his chance to help her.

If he had to find her, if she was still alive, himself, he would do it.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

The ring of the phone tore Tony away from his computer. Why the heck wouldn't she answer it?

His eyes wandered over to her desk. Empty and untouched. It was hard to believe she wasn't there.

He glanced up at Gibbs, who nodded to him.

Tony sprang up, and picked up the phone.

"Hello, this is Special Agent Dinozzo."

"Uh, is Agent Todd there?"

Tony's mouth went dry. Yeah, it kept happening—less frequently, as time went on, but still it happened. Someone calling for Kate. And he had to explain that she was gone.

………………….

Again the phone rang. This time, Tony did not even look at Gibbs for confirmation. He scooped up the phone and greeted unenthusiastically into the receiver.

A sudden crash on the other end of the line startled him. He sat up straight, listening intently as heavy breathing followed a muffled scream. Then the line went dead.

………………..

Agent Gibbs waited, fingers tapping on the small table in the farthest corner of the well-hidden DC café.

He had chosen this café for a meeting place for that reason. Washington, D.C was a busy, always-something-going-on kind of city. It was difficult to find a place people avoided—unless it be the run down, poverty-stricken and violent parts of town.

Yeah, to remain unnoticed, but not to get gunned down by a local drug dealer. That was the ultimate goal. Of course, there was probably a reason a true District citizen avoided this café. Gibbs glanced down into his coffee, suspiciously glaring at the unidentifiable specks in it. He pushed the cup away, and turned his attention towards the door.

The young waiter came by. "Waiting for someone, sir?"

Gibbs merely nodded, and with a shrug, the boy continued on.

The jingle of the door was heard. In the dim light, Gibbs saw a figure approach him.

Special Agent Tobias Fornell took the seat opposite him, and glanced around the dreary room.

"I think the elevator is a more cheerful place of business, Gibbs," he remarked lightly.

Gibbs was in no mood for Fornell's attempt at humor.

"This is more than business, Tobias. These are lives hanging the balance, here."

"Gibbs, sometimes I'd swear you are developing a heart. Not good in our…..business, if you pardon the use of the word.

The two men remained silent for a time. Gibbs knew sometime he would have to speak. To swallow his pride. Admit he might not be able to do this one alone.

"Tobias, I need your help."

"We aren't helping you if this is what I think it is."

"We may have information on Ari's plan and location," Gibbs replied evasively, deciding it best not to reveal the said terrorist's remarks on Kate.

Fornell raised an eyebrow. He shouldn't be surprised, he thought to himself. Gibbs always did work fast.

"I guess…."Fornell slowly " ……we could….work something out." He spoke slowly.

Gibbs eyes seemed to gleam with….well, with something.

"You are giving your word on that?"

"Absolutely."

………………………….

"What do you mean it can't be traced!" Tony demanded of McGee.

"We can't trace it; simple."

"We have, like all this technology and you can't trace a phone call? It _should_ be simple!"

"I dunno, Tony, maybe they were using a phone card."

The agent sighed. "Okay, well, I recorded the call. Want to get it up to Abbs for a complete audio analysis?"

"Yep, you comin'?"

"Mmm, I'll be up later."

He watched McGee disappear as the elevator doors closed, then he relaxed in the chair. Tony was still seated at Kate's desk. McGee had offered to call Kate's family about picking up a few things of hers that weren't government issued, but Gibbs said they could wait.

Without thinking, Tony opened and shut a few drawers. His eyes lighted on a small book. Gingerly, although he did not know why he did so, he picked it up.

"The Applause of Heaven," he read the title aloud to himself, then flipped the book open.

"To Caitlyn Todd—congratulations on your graduation. We wish you the very best! From Sister Anne, Sister Marie, and Sister Rachel."

Tony smiled inwardly. Must be a good book—that Kate would have kept it all these years at work! He skipped to a later part of the book, his eyes falling on some highlighted words.

"Resentment is the cocaine of our emotions. It causes our blood to pump and our energy level to rise. But, also like cocaine, it demands increasingly large and more frequent dosages. There is a dangerous point at which anger ceases to be an emotion and becomes a driving force. A person bent on revenge moves unknowingly further and further away from being able to forgive, for to be without the anger is to be without a source of energy.

Hatred is the rabid dog that turns on its owner.

Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist.

Bitterness is the trap that snares the hunter.

And mercy is the choice that can set them all free."

He finished reading, his heart beating fast as if the book was a favorite horror flick of his. Those few words on revenge struck his heart deep. Like a message from Kate herself.

It was hard not to have those feelings with a job like their own. Once you thought the worst of people for so long, it took a while to get over it. It was hard to remind yourself to remain neutral. It was easy to believe evil existed, and that anyone was capable of anything. It was hard to take that resentment away and replace it with mercy.

Law enforcement could really harden your heart. They all struggled with it. And sometimes, it was unavoidable. Justice should be different than revenge. But the two became _so_ intertwined.

He had reached the point where it was no longer emotion. It _was_ the driving force of his life.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Hey, guys, sorry for the delay! Thanks for the reviews.

I want to apologize for chapter nine, one of you commented on how it was hard to follow with the switching from Tony and Gibbs' POV's. I guess its one of those situations where you read and re-read your own work so many times, you fail to catch some of those big things!

Also, in the last chapter, I meant to add a disclaimer. Max Lucado's book, "Applause of Heaven" , is a great book, but I don't own it. ;) Well…technically, I do have a copy somewhere….

Okay, and I want to make something clear here. This is (unofficially) where part two of this fic begins. The first ten or so chapters were dealing more with the emotional side of the story, from here on (until somewhere closer to the end) I'm dealing with more action. (hey, I have to keep your attention somehow!)

"Boss, Kate got another call. It was really odd—there was a scream, and then the line---" Tony stopped, eyes narrowing at the FBI agent who entered the bullpen with Gibbs.

"Agent Dinozzo," Fornell acknowledged. He then proceeded to sit at Gibbs' desk, rapidly typing on his keyboard.

Tony raised his eyebrows at his boss, with a what-is-he-doing-here gleam in his eyes. Gibbs ignored him, and leaned against the back of the chair that Fornell occupied. Dinozzo could hear their hushed whispers, but he could not comprehend what they were speaking about. Gibbs finally glanced up, and waved a hand at the younger agent.

"Go do something, Dinozzo!"

Tony shared a shrug with McGee, who looked equally puzzled.

Suddenly Gibbs' voice raised above a whisper. "What do you mean you won't take us!" He exclaimed, his eyes saying more. Enough to make Fornell squirm in his seat with something between fear and guilt.

Fornell glanced over at Dinozzo and McGee, who from their desks, were openly staring. Gibbs caught the look and waved them over.

Fornell looked long and hard at Tony and McGee. When he turned his stare to Gibbs, he returned it. Tony watched in half amusement as the two men battled with their eyes.

"Its too dangerous," Fornell muttered, obviously showing signs of weakening.

Gibbs actually laughed. "You are concerned about danger?" he asked." Is that why you let Ari go? Believe it or not, Tobias, we are federal agents, too. Whatever you've got, my team can handle it."

Fornell pulled himself up. "Is that why one of your team is gone?" he almost automatically regretted his words, as he felt the atmosphere in the room dramatically change with the anger of the three other men.

He got up, hoping Dinozzo wouldn't jump him as he walked by him towards the exit. "We'll be in touch," were his only last words.

As he let, the others remained silent. The two youngest looked at Gibbs expectantly, waiting for some type of explanation.

It dint' come. Instead, "Dinozzo, get the sedan. McGee, gear. Get me a coffee, and meet me out front."

………………………………………

"We're gonna track him!" McGee asked dubiously.

"Well, yeah, McGee. Looks like you've learned a little about the dirty side of your job since you started working here."

"That's our little boy," Tony said sarcastically, patting McGee—none too gently—on the head patronizingly.

"But…he's Fornell…." McGee sputtered.

"Yep, and that's Gibbs," Tony reassured, pointing to their boss, who was now several feet ahead of them.

"And he claims this is a top security case!" McGee continued.

"We do have pretty high clearances, probie, last time I checked."

"Fornell is like….Gibbs…you can't mess with him!"

"Unless you _are_ Gibbs," Tony pointed out, "But now that you mention it, if we get caught—" he rubbed a finger across his throat.

McGee finished his sentence. "We can kiss our careers goodbye."

They both almost plowed into Gibbs when he stopped suddenly, and whirled around.

"That is going to happen anyway if you two don't get moving!" he snapped.

"Coffee not hot, boss?" Tony grinned impishly.

The quick glare subdued the mischievous agent, and he dove dangerously towards the gear.

………………………

"And look at that fettuccine, boss! He slurps it up like….well…he slurps it up! My mom would have loved this guy" Tony spoke excitedly into the headset, carefully watching Tobias Fornell. Obviously the Italian café was one of the FBI agent's favorites.

Gibbs' voice, among the static, crackled tiredly.

"Dinozzo…" he said in a warning voice.

"Uh, right boss….Yeah, I'd say he's definitely waiting for someone."

As if his own words were a signal, a figure appeared, slipping very casually next to Fornell.

He spoke even lower to his teammates. "Okay, hat pulled pretty low, not to mention kind of dark to see anyway. Trying to look easy—but dressed like…like doesn't want to be seen. Moves like a woman. But pretty strong."

"Moves like a woman?" came a second voice.

"Don't scare me with those words, Probie!" Tony exclaimed, shuddering at McGee's naive attitude. Creepy thing was, some girls—women—liked it. He mentally made a not to have a talk with Probie when this was all over.

Tony focused his attention on Fornell and the mysterious female figure. He wished he could hear what they were so secretly whispering about.

Almost as suddenly as she slipped in, the girl stood up, and stepped out the back exit.

Tony knew McGee was stationed directly behind the building.

"Coming your way, Probie," he whispered. "And watch the way she moves."

"Roger that. Think its Fornells' girl?"

"Dressed like that? Maybe—if she is a criminal he put behind bars previously. Whatcha think, boss?"

"Just as long as it's not one of my ex's.," Gibbs grunted.

…………………………

"Seriously, boss, unless you know more than you are saying, which I don't doubt, I think Fornell just wanted to be…ahem…_nice_ and treat us to Italian.

Gibbs didn't smile. It was true. Apart from the mysterious girl McGee was (hopefully) still chasing, Fornell's evening included nothing out of the ordinary. After dinner, he had lit up a cigarette, and walked down the street, Tony and Gibbs following behind at a safe distance. Fornell appeared to be in deep thought, blending in with the District's diverse crowd. It was getting late, and Fornell had to be heading home soon.

The crowds grew smaller as Agent Fornell turned down several streets. Not good. It would be a lot easier for him to spot them. Maybe not a coincidence. At least it was easier for them to keep both eyes on him.

Apparently they weren't the only ones. Out of the deep darkness, near a shadowy building, two long arms reached out, pulling Special Agent Tobias Fornell out of sight. Now only the darkness remained, and neither knew what lurked in it.

But they were going to find out. Hopefully, it wouldn't cost them too much. Stealthily, they crept closer.

Tony froze suddenly, as he felt a hand on him. He thought one thing in that instant--they weren't dealing with amateur criminals here. These guys would do anything. They had caught him now. That could only mean the end.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

" Good grief, Tony, its just me!" Tony relaxed, delighted to hear McGee's voice at his side.

"The gal?"

"Here. Went in another entrance. Don't know what's the scoop, but saw you. I think there's a couple guys in there, one seems to be putting up one heck of a fight."

"Wait! The chick is _here_?"

"Yep. Fornell, too?"

"Creepy. I don't think this is your typical take the gal home for coffee after dinner move….Ow!" Tony flinched when Gibbs' hand made direct contact with the back of his head.

"Is this a stakeout, or a lecture on Dinozzo's foolproof moves?" Gibbs demanded.

"_Fool_proof? That's gotta hurt, huh, Tony!" McGee grinned.

Yikes. Probie was getting more smart mouthed with his comebacks since Kate died. Someone had to continue the comic relief.

Tony crept behind Gibbs, attempting to draw nearer to the building. However, his boss placed a hand out, and pushed both him and McGee back into the shadows. Three figures stepped into view, darkness dancing over their faces, obscuring their looks.

Yet their words were audible.

One of them, his voice husky and low, snickered. "You sure we shouldn't just kill him?"

"He said alive or else. Not my choice, you know."

The first one responded. "You sure it's cool to leave him there?"

The three agents did not hear an answer. The voices had drifted away with the men.

McGee turned to Gibbs. "They have Fornell!"

"Good," Tony muttered, "He deserves it. Can't we just leave him there?"

Gibbs paused before answering. "I could do that, except for the fact we need answers. Maybe after we get them, we can leave him here."

Holding tightly to the sidearms that they had drawn, Gibbs, Dinozzo, and McGee crept warily. The two younger agents flattened themselves to either side of the door, and Gibbs, gaining a nod of signal from each, wriggled the handle.

"NCIS!" their shouts echoed throughout he building.

It appeared empty. The front rooms were lit, but McGee saw no light coming from the crack in a door a few feet away.

Cautiously he approached it. Stepping in, he ran his hand over the wall, feeling for a switch. He finally reached for his flashlight, and taking a step forward, his foot rammed against something. McGee heard a groan, and bent down to see Fornell lying on the hard floor. McGee barely turned his head over his shoulder as he yelled for his boss.

He ran in, followed closely by Tony.

Gibbs roughly rolled the FBI agent over onto his back, and examined his badly beaten and bleeding body.

"What dya think boss—should we leave him here?" asked Tony, sarcastically.

Fornell glared at him, before asking weakly. "Who…else…is…here?"

Gibbs didn't blink. "Who else is supposed to be here, Tobias?"

The keen glance threw Fornell off guard. "Backup" was all he muttered.

"Place is empty," McGee reassured. Tony and Gibbs exchanged looks. Where did the mysterious girl—obviously wanted to be kept a secret by Fornell—go?

Gibbs shook Fornell roughly. "Tell me about her!" he exclaimed. "Tell me everything!"

Fornell's eyes rolled back into his head, and the blood dripped off his chin. Then he went limp, eyes closing. Gibbs turned back to McGee. "We need an ambulance!" he yelled, trying unsuccessfully to bring Fornell back to consciousness.

"Oh, I don't think that would be necessary," spoke a voice from, behind. Gibbs froze. Even before he had heard the recognized voice, he had felt and feared the presence of someone—of him, he now knew.

Ari Haswari stepped into the doorway, followed by three men, each carrying Uzi's.

"Trust me, I have use for my good friend Fornell, here. Now, I want you to sit on the ground, and please, drop your weapons."

Tony and McGee did not move as the three men pointed their own guns at them threateningly. However, Gibbs carefully lowered his own, and nodded to his team.

Haswari wasn't going to kill them now anyway. He did not have the information he needed yet. Tony understood immediately, and putting his hands on his head, he sat against the wall. He caught a gleam of approval in the eyes of one of Haswari's men.

McGee followed Tony's lead, until all three agents were side by side, Fornell still at their feet.

"Agents Dinozzo, McGee. My pleasure," Haswari acknowledged, and then turned his steady gaze to Gibbs. "Ah! My dear friend, I see you have found me once again. And with your amiable companions, no less! I do delight in your presence, to be sure." He cocked his gun at Gibbs, his charming appearance vanishing suddelny. "Gibbs, you know what I want, and you know to give it to me."

The harshness in his voice caused Tony to flinch, but he examined his captor closely.

He had never had any encounters with the terrorist. Oh, yes, he had heard plenty. From Ducky, Gerald, from Kate herself. She might have claimed she wasn't "thinking about that terrorist," but that did not explain a few conversations they had had following her encounters.

And now, he was face to face with the very man they all hated. And Kate was right—his eyes. Now he understood what she meant. His eyes looked like ones that belonged working in an orphanage in Russia, or as counselor to kids. As a pediatrician in a volunteer clinic, or the leader of a disaster relief group.

Definitely not the eyes of the head of Washington, D.C.'s Al-Qaeda cell.

But apparently, Gibbs hadn't the heart that allowed him to be deceived. Was Gibbs that hard, or was he going soft? Either way, Gibbs could see through it.

"You know what _I_ want, Ari. You tell me." Gibbs spoke loud and unfalteringly. The three companions of Haswari exchanged smirks. Okay, their was nothing in _their_ eyes that portrayed kindness.

"Why, Gibbs, I can't read minds!"

"Where do you have Todd!" Gibbs demanded, about to jump up, but stopped by three Uzi's swinging directly at him.

Ari Haswari threw back his head and laughed. A deep, sincere, but mocking laugh. "You really believed what I said, Gibbs? My friend, you should not have fallen for that. Caitlyn is dead."

A/N: Hehe, I am so messing with your minds! First she's dead, then she's not, now she is! I had you tricked, admit it! You thought that girl was Kate, huh:P


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Sorry it took me so long! I was away…and sick…and away… 

Chapter Thirteen

All that tiny hope vanished. Like a candle waning, and finally flickering out. Tony knew his heart was sinking. How little it was, all that hope was gone.

She was dead. They should not have believed Haswari. How could they have been such idiots? To believe a terrorist? The agony over his stupidity was more than he could bear. McGee was sitting still, face white with anger. Not at his stupidity for believing Haswari, but for convincing himself—maybe even convincing Tony and his boss-that Caitlyn Todd was alive. His gut feeling was wrong. He had failed—he had failed Kate, he had failed in his feelings. He had failed as an agent.

Gibbs, too, was sitting, struggling to control hi absolute rage—at Ari and at himself. But it was too much. He jumped up, despite the men with Uzi's, and lunged at Haswari, who merely smiled and took a step back. He allowed his three companions to subdue Gibbs and wrestle him to the ground.

Ari spoke. "Not to say I don't regret the death of such a lovely young woman. But I really didn't

think you'd fall—"

Gibbs interrupted him. "Oh, no? Then why did you tell us? Admit it, Ari, you knew it would get us here!"

Haswari looked thoughtful. "Amazing, how well you read my mind. We must think quite alike."

Then they all heard the unmistakable sound of shouts.

"FBI!" they rang thorough the building. \

The three NCIS agents felt a wave of relief—and for the first time in a long while, a touch of hope. Who would be thankful for the FBI, except at a time like this?

Everything was going to work out, now. They were saved. But even more importantly, Haswari was captured. He would finally face the justice that the United States government had labored so hard for. With that would come the revenge over Kate. Over Ducky. Over Gerald. Over Gibbs. With that America could again feel secure. They, as federal agents, now could feel that they would be safe. That their friends, their family, and their country could be safe.

Gibbs focused his triumphant face on Haswari, who did not seem the least disturbed as he spoke to his companions in Arabic. They nodded stonily, and Ari disappeared.

Gibbs let out a yell."Up here! Quickly!"

A thunder of feet followed his shouts, and soon a dozen men appeared.

"Forget us! He went that way!" Gibbs pointed, and without questioning who the "he" was, a flurry of the SWAT team flew by. They knew whom they were searching for.

The four men they left quickly took hold of the situation. Taking Haswari's men, they allowed Gibbs, Dinozzo, and McGee to finally stand.

A young member of the team that had followed Haswari returned. "There is no one, boss." He spoke to a man that was bent over Fornell. "This place is empty, 'cept for us."

The man spoke into his radio. "You can send the paramedics up. Coast is clear. I repeat, send the paramedics up!"

Fornell was carried off to the waiting ambulance, and Tony took the opportunity to grab the busy leader of the team by the shoulder. "How'd you know to come? I don't get the impression Fornell had a whole SWAT team as back up."

The man awkwardly glanced around. "Not at the liberty to inform you, sir." Was all he said. "Can I get your boss, you, and the other agent to wait outside now?"

Gibbs was staring blankly at nothing. Tony knew that look—he was more than furious and miffed. He was angry—with himself. Once again the terrorist had outsmarted them. Escaped!

"Hey, boss, you all right?"

Gibbs probably hadn't even noticed the blood that trickled from his own face where he had been roughed up by the three men. At least they were now in custody. Maybe, just maybe, something could be gleaned from them about the location of their cruel and intelligent boss.

Gibbs' face did not show that he even comprehended Tony's question. He was far from that state of registration. But he did meet Tony's eyes.

"He's gone, Dinozzo. Gone again," he said, his voice saying more than his words. For the first time in his life, he heard the desperation and hopelessness in his boss' voice. And it scared him—more than anything he had yet heard or seen.

………………………………

It wasn't until they were safely back at head quarters, escorted by an agent under Fornell, that anyone of them dared to speak.

It was McGee who began the conversation by muttering to himself. "So close—just so close," he said the shock of the knowledge of Kate and the supernatural escape of the man they sought evident in his voice and looks.

Tony voiced his own concern. "Boss, are we ever going to get him?"

The question was innocent enough.

But it turned Gibbs into a fiercely mad boss. "You ever question me like that again and you'll be looking for work!"

……………………….

Smiling sadly, the figure watched, protected by a legion of stern looking, official men with lethal guns and tiny headsets. No fun banter in this group. Work was work. No time for play, that was for sure. The figure hugged the jacket closer. They were safe, that was true. The NCIS agents were safe. Yet it didn't bring much comfort. Who knew what could--would--happen next. Hopefully the fears would not come true. The wind blew through the figures' bones, causing the jacket to come closer.

It was only a matter of time before another one of them was taken down--and that time was drawing nearer.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

So0rry if I was not clear in the last chapter. Ari dissappeared by a back exit.(You know, they are good for everything from sneaking boyfriend's down when you hear Mom and Dad's car pull in, to a trusty escape for terrorists!)

Chapter Fourteen

Are we ready, 8-2-8?" the man spoke into his headset.

'8-2-8' responded. "Yes, sir. Execute!" Machine gun fire rang out, and 8-2-8 could see that men crouched in their positions. Several of the enemies fell.

It had taken a long time to reach this point.

_Reaching for the phone, 8-2-8 spoke. "Are you sure about this?"_

_"Not a bit. But it's my only choice."_

_"I will kill you if you are wrong about this."_

_"I'm not worried—if I am wrong, they'll kill you first."_

_8-2-8 cleared her throat, and held the receiver to her ear._

_"I have very important information here on the death of a NCIS Special Agent Caitlyn Todd," she spoke. No doubt, that would get the guy's attention._

_"Speak," the voice on the other end said gruffly._

_"I need to speak with—with Haswari," she said._

So here she was. At least something came of it. She had pulled her own double agent tricks against him. Al-Qaeda's DC cell was almost diminished. Except for Ari Haswari himself. He escaped.

A hand grabbed 8-2-8's shoulder. "You did good. Lets see about getting you back home now."

……………..

It was a loud slam. McGee started, and glanced at Tony. Was it his hand that just banged on his desk?

"C'mon, pick it up. No!….not another message! I won't need another message!" This time it was definitely the phone that slammed down, and Tony caught McGee staring at him.

"Tell me, Probie, how in the heck are you supposed to talk to someone when they won't answer their cell?"

"You could go find them."

Dinozzo ignored him. "I mean, Gibbs is, like, gonna kill me if I don't get a hold of Fornell. What's wrong with Gibbs anyway? He left us to—" Tony stopped when he saw the warning look on McGee's face. He knew this one. Gibbs was right behind him. He closed his eyes, ready for the whack. It didn't come.

He opened his eyes; delighted he had gotten away.

And then it came.

"Dinnozzo, think!"

Tony rubbed his head gingerly. "I don't know if I can anymore, Boss."

"Leave off that anymore and you have it straight. Listen to McGee. Go find Fornell!"

"Brilliant idea, Boss. Great, Probie, you should have thought of that. What did they teach you at MIT, anyway?"

By now, they were too far away for Gibbs to hear McGee's retort. But he knew by the sudden smack on the agent's head that it was a good one.

Those two were starting to act like Tony and Kate.

The thought hurt him to the core.

…….

"8-2-8, do you read me?"

"Yes, I hear you."

"We have good news and bad news."

8-2-8 sighed. "Can I have the bad news first?"

"Well, one, you've done an exceptional job. You've gained valuable intel, you've kept the NCIS agents safe….well, most of them."

"If that's the bad news, I think I can live with it."

"No, Ari Haswari escaped.

8-2-8 paused. "The good?"

"We think its time to let you go.

8-2-8 frowned. It had been a hard few weeks. Life had seems so normal—until she had watched that girl die on that rooftop. It had seemed so unnecessary, so wrong. That girl was like herself, young and deserving of life. Not death. It had made the hunt for Ari a little more real.

They were going to let her go. Let her resume life in a normal way. Things would be better then. But she knew, deep down, the desire to rid the earth of that one terrorist would always be strong. Nothing would really ever be the same.

Especially if he got to her.

….

"Lookin' sharp, Fornell," Tony commented, pushing his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. He jerked his head towards the table, where the FBI agent's cell lay. "Funny thing here," he said picking the phone up, "You have nine new messages. I'd listen to them for you, but, sorry, I can't have that pleasure. 'Cause I already know what's on them." Tony pulled off his shades, and tried to glare at the agent, who started laughing.

Tony blinked. "What's wrong with you?"

"You! Stop trying to act like Gibbs."

"I don't act like Gibbs!" Tony said, now trying to look as un-Gibbs as possible. "Right, McGee?"

"Well, Tony, you did kind of have that look….ow!"

Tony ignored his cry of pain. "So tell me, Fornell. Is there a reason you are avoiding any calls from a Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo?"

Fornell looked at his guests. "Give me a break, Dinozzo, I am kind of beat up. Just got home from the hospital, and this is what I get?"

"You know what I figured, Fornell? I figured if you were well enough to bark orders to us and your men from your hospital room, you were sure as well enough to answer your phone from your own home!"

Fornell narrowed his eyes. "Barking orders at you?"

Tony tilted his head. "Sure. 'No questions, just—'."

"Okay, I've heard enough."

"Have you, Fornell? 'Cause I got a lot more to say here. Like, I need some answers."

"You aren't—" Fornell's cell phone rang in Tony's hand.

"For once, it's not me," he peered at the cell. "Holy smokes, Fornell, I recognize this number!"

McGee looked over his shoulder. "The Director?"

Tony nudged McGee. "We shouldn't let him have it, you know. He's sick…needs some time to--…"

Fornell swiftly swiped the phone from Dinozzo.

"Fornell."

Pause.

"What! But sir, it would damage the whole op—he's gotten—okay, yes sir."

"Whats up, Fornell?" Tony asked, when the agents lay down his cell but refused to look up.

"Where's Gibbs?"

Tony exchanged glances with McGee. "Uh, I think he--,"

"You don't know where he is?"

"Does the coffee shop count?"

…………………………………

Gibbs' long stride resulted in the footsteps heard by the three men. The steam rose from his Styrofoam cup.

Fornell met his eyes squarely. "You're not going to like what I'm going to say, Jethro."

"Yeah? Have I ever?"

"I assumed you felt some satisfaction—in an I-told-you-so sort of way—when your ex left me."

"I'll let you have that much."

"This is really going to danger your team—forever."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

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Hey guys! Thanks for holding out with me on this...hehe...this is my twist in the story. Got to love messing with your lovely minds! I'm in a good mood (heck, Navy has won three games in a row!) so I even made this chapter a little longer for you. You guys really are the best.

Sorry if this gets confusing--and if you didn't realize after reading, this will go back and overlap with Twilight.

Chapter Fifteen

There was a pause before Gibbs spoke.

"A lot of things have hurt our team forever, Tobias."

Fornell glanced into the faces of McGee and Dinozzo, who were staunchly backing their boss. Those three did make an incredible team. Even without their beloved fourth member. They would scare off an army. They could scare off the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They were pretty darn close to scaring off him.

Only one problem—they couldn't. Not yet. He had to tell them this; no matter how much it would endanger them, they deserved the truth.

And as much as he, Tobias Fornell, hated to admit it, he needed their help. Rather, the Director told him he needed their help. That they should know. He knew his superior was right. He'd known from the beginning that this would never work the way they planned.

Because he knew Gibbs would have to find out about everything, starting now.

"Its about Todd, " he began, paused, and opened his mouth to continue when Gibbs stopped him sharply.

"What's not about her, Tobias? For once, maybe you'd like not to cause us to suffer bad news."

"I'm warning you now—this is good news, but will probably end up bad for everyone in this room."

"And I have no choice but to sit here listening to you avoiding telling me something."

"You want the point? Special Agent Caitlyn Todd is alive—but not safe. Probably never safe."

……………………………………………

(MAY 23, 2005)

"What do you want with me, Fornell? Did you not come just to tell us Haswari was back in the country?"

"And trying to kill Gibbs?"

Caitlyn Todd groaned. "And I thought Dinozzo was difficult!"

"Todd, did you ever think it was a little strange, Haswari always coming after you rather than any other member of your team?"

Kate shrugged.

"Oh, come on. You're smarter than that. You're a profiler, for Pete's sake!" Fornell rolled his eyes at the young woman's lack of response.

"Okay, it did bother me somewhat."

"Hmmm. You are a lot of things, Agent Todd, but a good liar is not one of them. You and I both know, the truth is, it terrified you."

Kate remained silent. Just like there was no use in crossing Gibbs, it was pointless to argue with a fired up Fornell. Even if he was speaking, for once, words of truth.

"As much as this is so, we need you, Agent Todd. We need someone with the best skills, experience, and someone we can trust, to get on Haswari's inside."

"Why me?" she asked, looking very confused. Perhaps, Fornell thought, that was even a sliver of fear in the young agent's eyes.

"Haswari wants to use you. For what, I don't know. Nor do I wish I had to imagine."

"In other words, I'm the live bait you are using to catch the terrorist you have had at arm's length so many times?" Her voice was now just angry.

"Very gracefully and delicately put, Agent Todd. But seriously, who knows. You might be the only person in the world to gain Ari's trust."

"Gain his trust? Very unlikely!"

"Todd, what did you see when you looked into his eyes?"

By Kate's silence, Fornell knew he had hit this tough spot directly. He continued speaking

"Exactly. You have every idea what can be tried with a man like this."

She nodded slowly. "One question, Fornell."

"Anything."

"Why didn't you talk to Gibbs about this first?"

Fornell drew in a deep breath. Okay, this was the hard part. How do you tell a person their whole life, as they know it was changing permanently?

"For his own safety, Gibbs can't know about this."

Kate blinked. "If, and I mean _if,_ I decided to do this, how long would I be working for you?"

"As long as it takes."

Kate laughed shallowly. "So what, are you going to try to convince Gibbs I deserve a who-knows-how-long leave of absence?"

Fornell's eyes gleamed. "Something like that."

……………………….

She couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the hardness of the office floor, or maybe it was the sound of Gibbs still awake and clicking on his keyboard.

But probably, it was the fear of another _b_ê_t_e_ noir_ that caused her to stay awake.

Kate froze into a pretend state of sleep when she heard Gibbs stand up. She opened one eye a crack, and saw him surveying Tony and McGee (and which one of them was snoring like that? She made a mental note to find out, and let them hear about it tomorrow), then take a few steps closer towards her. She quickly shut her eyes tightly, and tried to let her breathing relax.

She felt her boss' breath on her as he bent over and gently pulled the blanket around her. Kate smiled to herself when he had moved on. It was going to be one of the hardest decisions she had to make—to leave the people who loved her.

………………………

"Gibbs!" Oh, no, not another one. Couldn't they, these dreams, just leave her alone?

Ari had killed Gibbs. She awoke to find him in his chair, throat slit.

Another dream. Just another _b_ê_t_e_ noir._

It still caused her to awaken in a sweat with a start. Tony was leaning over her, his hand on her shoulder. He must have sensed something—something was wrong with her.

His nearness comforted her. Was she really able to leave this? For the sake of others, but too never, possibly, come back? Be gone, without a word; without a good-bye.

But with a last try. She had to protect Gibbs now, more than ever. It might be the last chance she ever would have. It would have to be done right. No matter what happened to her, the team would live on. And she knew what she had to do.

…………………………

Kate and Tony followed Gibbs and Fornell into the Multiple-Threat Alert Center. They took side-by-side seats, watching the other two converse.

Gibbs pulled up the picture of Ari in the avionics plant. Kate watched Fornell gaze at it sharply, then turn his gaze towards her. Tony nudged Kate. Kate knew he didn't, and wouldn't, get why Fornell was giving her such a look. It was a this-has-gotten-so-much-worse look. To Kate, that meant, if she chose it, a you-won't-make-it-through-this look.

She took a deep breath. She was going to do it—and she was going to make up her mind she _would_ get through it. To come back to all of this.

Tony and Gibbs exited M-TAC, Kate following, walking slowly, so Fornell would catch up. When he passed near her, Kate put her hand on his arm. "I'm ready to do this." She said quietly.

Agent Fornell did not answer. Instead, he merely nodded. They caught up to Gibbs and Tony, "I'll be in touch," he said to Gibbs, but Kate knew from the last poignant glance that the words were meant for her.

Gibbs walked briskly ahead, but Tony slowed his place, and stepped in line with Kate.

"Wow, Kate, is it just me, or is Fornell totally falling for you!"

What she wouldn't do to be able to give Dinozzo one last, hard smack on the head.

…………………..

Even as a child, Caitlyn Todd prepared for the worst. When a girl had three older brothers, it was inevitable. When you have give seven-year-old brother scissors, prepare to be wearing those cute straw hates you hate every day for a long time. When you were finally in high school and on your first fate, prepare to see sets of familiar eyes around the restaurant. In college, preparing for the worst in your career could be the most important thing you do.

She knew, when she decided, to pursue a career as a federal agent, that she would have to be prepare for many things—evil; pain; death. And so it wasn't from lack of preparation that made these moments hurt so much. Sometimes, nothing you can do will help.

"Does she…..?"

"It's the only way, Agent Todd." The friendly looking young man smiled at her, although he, too, looked disturbed over the sight before him.

"She might die." Kate protested.

The man nodded soberly. "Ma'am, so you might have. But she knew the risks."

"Agent Bradshaw, do you and your organization believe it is right to exchange one life for another?"

Bradshaw did not answer immediately. "Sometimes, ma'am, things which are not normally right have to be done."

So, through the technology of screens, they watched the zigzag of the figures on the roof.

"Agent Todd, I guess we'll be working a lot together." Bradshaw started. Kate smiled appreciatively, but said nothing. It was kind of the young man to want to take her mind off what was going on. However, this was something she needed to do. Somehow, she was going to have to gain closure right now. And turn her back on her previous world.

Kate watched as a bullet slammed through the head of the forehead of the young woman who, this far away, looked like her double. She knew that they shared many differences, but now, all that mattered is that she had died for her, Kate felt sick with this thought.

She turned to Agent Bradshaw. "What was her name?" she asked.

Agent Bradshaw's eyes reflected much suffering. "Her name was Heather," he spoke softly.

Kate nodded. "Your guys will be on soon?"

"Yes, ma'am, we work quickly." He answered, still gazing at the screen. "Its odd, isn't it?"

"What do you mean, Agent Bradshaw?"

"Your men are up there, thinking you are gone, and grieving you, while I am down here with you, but knowing Heather…." His voice trailed off, and he soon resumed his cheery, if not shadowed smile. "Oh, enough. We have to get you settled." He patted her arm. "I know you don't want to see this; no one would. Special Agent Fornell gave me very specific instructions about you."

" Kate managed a smile. "Oh, I know about Fornell's 'specifics'."

Agent Bradshaw nodded. "Unfortunately, half the words he used I'd be afraid to repeat….Fornell can be one difficult guy…..err….uh, boss! I was just saying how difficult you were for terrorists to catch." Kate almost laughed at the change in Bradshaw when he realized Fornell had entered, as he finished his sentence lamely.

"Right, " Fornell acknowledged, " I'm sure you were. But where the heck did I ask you to take Todd to?"

The pleasantness returned towards Kate. "Right this way, Agent Todd…err, I mean 8-2-8."

"8-2-8?" Kate asked confusedly.

"Your code name, Agent Todd."

"And I should call you---?"

"Eric. Just call me Eric, ma'am."

…………………………….

Caitlyn Todd, now growing accustomed to the name 8-2-8, nodded towards Eric Bradshaw when he walked in.

"Hello, Eric."

"How's it going, Kate?"

She laughed. "I don't know how to answer that. How about you, Eric? You don't look too well."

Eric pressed his lips together. He did look very disturbed.

"We have a problem, here, Kate." He admitted. "I think we're going to let you make your first contact with Haswari—very soon.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

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I don't feel quite right about this chapter….but for need of posting I'm giving it to you. Sorry if it sounds like I wrote it at midnight! (Oh wait…I did…)

Chapter Sixteen

It was too much. She had meant to leave her life behind, but she longed to hear from those she left. Just once.

They thought she was dead. Eric was right, it was odd. She had watched their reactions. She had seen what consumed Gibbs; she had saw Tony's grief.

But Kate really had no idea what they were going through over her.

Her hand passed over the phone. Fornell didn't have to know. Gibbs would keep the secret—and he should know.

He would not like knowing one of his agents was being so carelessly used by the FBI.

Kate almost smiled. For as stubborn and hard core as her boss was, he really cared about his team.

She picked up the receiver. Something was telling her it was wrong to do. But something else told her it should be done. She was spilt between two choices. It only took her an instant to decide.

Kate didn't know why she dialed her own number. For some reason, she now did not want to speak with her boss. She longed to call Tony, but it would be strange. McGee was out of the question. But then, with her luck, it would probably go to a recorded, serious message. "We regret to inform you Special Agent Caitlyn Todd was killed in action. If you wish to speak with another NCIS agent, press 1, followed by the pound sign." She expected to hear.

Instead, a voice that made her heart ache with longing answered. "Special Agent Dinozzo." Kate opened her mouth to speak when she suddenly felt the presence of another soul in the room. Eric Bradshaw almost tackled her, and she let out a startled shriek, which he muffled with his large hand. He was breathing heavily, and Kate could see the fury in his eyes as he slammed the phone down.

"Are you crazy! What were you trying to do!" he growled, shaking her rather roughly.

Kate didn't answer. She knew it had been terribly wrong. She understood how selfish it had been. It would have ruined the whole operation, and compromised the safety of many. Maybe, deep down, its what she wanted. Just for things to be right for her, no matter what it caused others.

But she knew that wasn't true. This was the thing she would do.

Eric Bradshaw loosened his grip on her, his eyes softening as he gazed keenly into her troubled face.

Poor Eric! Kate knew his anger at her selfishness was well deserved. He had watched his fiancée die for her whom he know protected; it was a wonder he could accept her in the first place. He tried, and it was his trying, Kate supposed, that swallowed his grief. Somehow, he had been able to be her friend; her solid rock of support, when he should be blaming her for his Heather's death.

Kate pulled her arms away from Eric, and buried her face in her hands. She did not cry—she would _not_ cry now. She sat still a moment, seeing nothing; and hearing nothing but Agent Bradshaw's breathing

He finally dared to speak, timidly putting a hand on the shoulder of this example of intertwined courage and emotion.

"Kate, listen to me. If Fornell knew about this, you have no idea what he would do. I think I can trust you. This won't happen again, do you understand?" his voice was gently.

Kate nodded. "Eric, I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can. You are one of the strongest woman I know, and you can do this." He encouraged, giving her shoulder a friendly pat.

Eric then exited, but Kate knew he was still watching her. Every moment was now chronicled. They still did not trust her.

A lone voice kept coming back into her head. Tony. Although she shouldn't have, she was almost glad she had called. Definitely glad to hear her partner's voice. Perhaps, she thought, Eric was right. After hearing Dinozzo's voice, she could get through this. Or anything.

But there was something different in his voice. It wasn't the sound of the usually friendly, high spirited Anthony Dinozzo. He sounded sedate. Listless.

Was it over her? Kate dared to think it. But then again, it could be that girl—was her name Victoria?—had turned him down.

……………………………………….

Agent Bradshaw laughed. "You know, I don't think your boss himself would recognize you."

Kate frowned, "I think you are right—not that I expect to run into _him_."

"Well, from what I've heard, he tends to appear when you don't want him around" Eric replied, handing her a wool lined cat that she slipped on.

It was Kate's turn to laugh. "You have no idea, Eric."

Within a few minutes Kate could seethe lights to the classy Italian café. Eric dropped her off at the front, and she walked in.

Kate didn't have to look for Fornell; she knew which seat he occupied. She slipped in the seat across from him, and he pushed a plate of garlic breadsticks towards her.

She leaned towards him whispering. "You can't come down to HQ?" she asked.

Fornell looked uneasy. "I think I'm being followed."

"By Al- Qaeda?"

Who else?" was all Fornell said.

"Did you bring--?"

Fornell interrupted her. "Not here." He casually passed the plate closer, and Kate saw, among the golden sticks, a piece of paper. She took it, and a stick, and suddenly got up. She closed the back door softly behind her, and breather in the night air. She felt another presence, but that didn't surprise her. Of course Bradshaw had one of his men following her.

But it was the glimpse into the face that startled her. McGee!

…………………………

Kate groaned to herself. Tony and she had prided themselves on training McGee so well. Now she cursed them for being so thorough. So far, she couldn't even lose McGee.

Hopefully, he hadn't recognized her. But how else would he know of her? How else, unless they were the ones following Fornell. It made sense now. Bradshaw had been right about Gibbs. He appeared when you most wanted him out of your way.

Kate peered behind her. No sign of the young agent.

Carefully, she took the paper in her hands. It smelled strongly of garlic, but it did contain a legible address. Kate squinted at the road sign. Just two more blocks until the right street.

She found it soon. But a shocking sight kept her from entering. Instead, she reached for her radio and contacted Bradshaw, demanding back-up.

They came, and whisked her off. She could only watch as Bradshaw relayed the information second hand.

"Your boss, Agent Dinozzo, and Agent McGee are all inside," he informed her.

Kate's heart sank. So she had _not_ been successful in losing Tim.

No success. Again, Haswari had escaped the clutches of those who sought him. Kate knew one thing for sure now—the mission she both dreaded and longed for was going to have to be put into action.

………………

She carefully strapped on the ankle holster, pulled on the top, and threw her hair hurriedly back into a ponytail. She then surveyed herself. Kate tilted her head to one side. She looked almost right. There was something missing though. She smiled to herself as she slipped the scalpel into her shoe. Perfect, and how ironic. The very weapon she had once not been able to use against him.

Finally, she was to face him again. And this time it was going to be right.

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	18. Chapter Seventeen

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Oh...last week's ep...good to see Michael Bellisario on. He was my favorite part of JAG (he played a USNA MIDSHIPMAN...c'mon folks, what could be better than that? And truthfully, he reminded me of this real midshipman...) And now he's on NCIS...(needs to lose the mustache, though!) as a nerdy homeschooled tech assistant! (and I can say that without bias, being homeschooled myself.)

And I tried logging into the site several times this week and last before I could get on….I don't know what's going on there….

For you who've seen this scenario before--I only have one thing to say. I could have done worse--I didn't use the favorite evil twin plot:P

Chapter Seventeen

Special Agent Eric Bradshaw pocketed the number carefully. It had taken a long time to get this encrypted number from Haswari. It had better been worth the manpower his intelligence team had put into it.

He had rehearsed Kate on what to say, over and over again. He didn't know much about her background with the terrorist yet, but he knew it was much more than anyone. That if anyone could get into Al-Qaeda's DC cell's inside, it was Caitlyn Todd.

It was a lot to bear, he thought. She, or any one of them, had no idea what Haswari's next move would be. They were playing with matches when a fire already existed. It couldn't get much worse. At least, Eric hoped, for everyone's sake, it wouldn't get any worse.

Caitlyn Todd reached for the phone. With a nod from Bradshaw, who stood close by, she cleared her throat and spoke.

She asked for Haswari, and she could hear the rustle and muffled voices on the other end. Finally, another voice spoke. The voice that Kate dreaded; the voice that made her face white, her heart beat faster, and her hands grow clammy. The voice that had haunted her, and would probably always haunt her.

Kate drew a deep breath. It was now or never. Here or nowhere. "Ari……I thought I'd be able to reach you here." She spoke calmly.

There was a long pause. Except for the unmistakable sound of his breathing, Kate would have thought that he had hung up on her. She looked quickly at Eric, who gave her a gleeful thumbs up sign. Good. She surmised two things—Ari had recognized her voice, and they had finally thrown him something he did not know.

"Caitlyn?" he sounded surprised, even as he tried to mask it.

"Yes, it's me." She had collected her wits now. Everything was happening according to plan.

Then Haswari laughed. "A trick of Gibbs, I know."

"Oh?"

"Come, now. You don't honestly expect me to fall for this, do you?"

"Is that what you want to believe? I guess you are missing out on a lot, then. But if that's what you want…."She let her voice trail off.

Another pause. Kate waited impatiently. Then the voice of Ari Haswari spoke slowly.

"Speak to me."

"Convinced its Gibbs, are you? Trust me, I wish Gibbs had something to do with this." She spoke the last words bitterly, which gained her a sharp look from Bradshaw. Not in the script. Yet, apparently, it had some affect on the terrorist.

"Do you……_Caitlyn_? Then tell me, how did you survive a bullet through your forehead? And why are you calling? Surely you couldn't want to negotiate anything?" he spoke his words smoothly, losing all surprise, in his usual fluent way.

"Well, actually….."

"Oh, Caitlyn! Do not mess with me this way!"

"I am not 'messing' with anybody. I have some things to say, and you have two choices as far as I'm concerned: Listen, or don't listen," Kate said, holding her breath as she waited for his response.

"I'm listening."

………………………..

"So, I want two teams on either side of here," and Kate pointed to two spots on the diagram.

"Putting your protection training to good use, Agent Todd?"

Kate looked at Bradshaw in the eye. "It's very different when you are planning it for yourself."

"Mmm. So tell me what else you got."

"Well, I've placed your team here, and I wouldn't feel too bad about getting this whole area covered. With who we are talking about, we can't afford any loopholes."

"You are doing a great job, Kate." Bradshaw's phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket, looking at the caller ID.

"Boss?……okay, I'll get her on." He put his hand over the speaker, handed it to Kate, and whispered, "He wants to talk to you."

Kate took it, gave him a puzzled look, and held the phone to her ear.

"Fornell?"

"Special Agent Todd. Sorry I couldn't be there to oversee your work. Right now, I'm confined to bed. But then, thanks to your boss, I'm still alive.  
"Are you checking up on me, Fornell? Because, I _assure_ you, I have everything under control."

"No, I just wanted to give you some friendly advice," he spoke smoothly.

Kate grimaced. "And what would that be?"

"Don't mess this up, Todd. This is our only chance."

…………………………………………

Alexandria, Virginia. It was known more, perhaps, for its close proximity to the Pentagon, than its historical value. The Old Town of the city was right on the Virginia-Maryland border, and close enough to feel the Potomac Fever in the air of Washington, D.C.

And on the plus side, it had those little details that made it completely perfect on a day like this.

With the familiar smell of the Potomac River in her nostrils, Kate gazed into the waters. It comforted her, knowing what lay on these banks. Not too far up and offshore, the people of the Pentagon were working tirelessly. Across the river, the Anacostia Naval Station lay, where the Anacostia River flowed into the Potomac. And it was here where the Washington Navy Yard sat. It was hard to believe it was so close—that she was looking on the same waters she had seen every day for years. Just a short drive up 400 and across 395, and you were there. Yet it seemed unbearably far from he. And not just physically. It was all out of her reach.

A slight disturbance kept her from continuing her thoughts.

Kate saw a lone figure approaching her. She gave the signal to the teams that lie await, knowing they had started to advance. She was secure—she knew the plans, and no one, not even Ari Haswari, could break them.

So why was her gut telling her something was not going to go perfectly here?

The figure that approached her was not that of Haswari's. He was a younger man, really just a kid, and his eyes gleamed terribly. Kate shuddered. He, like so many others, was fooled into this. Some promise; some hope of better tomorrow. The Hitler's Nazi Youth of the day and age. This kid was excited and ready to do whatever he was asked.

"Agent Todd?" he spoke his words carefully, with a thick accent.

"You are not whom I was expecting," Kate claimed with a gracious smile.

The boy grinned. "He told me to tell you he is not so foolish as to come himself."

He must have then, like Kate, felt the presence of her men before they even appeared. She saw him stiffen, and reach into his thin jacket.

It must have been the fear of seeing so many men that drove the boy to fire at them. The bullet harmlessly hit a post, but not before the team had returned fire. They had better aim than the boy did, Kate knew, and she was sure that he was lying on the ground, the grin still etched on his face.

However, she had no time to look, as in the commotion, several more men appeared, firing at random. It was when she was grabbed from behind and dragged away that she realized her plans had one flaw: she hadn't accounted for this little distraction.

…………………………..

She struggled, but the grip was both firm and deadly. It wasn't until the pandemonium could not be heard that she was slammed against something hard, and finally could look at her captor face to face.

She half-expected to see Haswari. But upon looking, she realized the boy was right. Haswari was no fool—he was smart enough to stay away and send others to do the dirty work.

Kate met the man's eyes defiantly. He smirked at her, and she knew that his stop was just for him to mock her—to show her he was in power. He pushed her along again; and she heard more voices.

Kate knew now any hope of escape was gone. And when she was expertly bound in the back of a tinted windowed SUV, she knew she had failed again. And this time, there was no chance she would get away.

………………………………………

Kate didn't need to look out the window to know they were heading along I-95. There was no mistaking the slow pace, and the sound of the impatient horns, for any D.C. highway. And she knew 95 by heart; it started at the Maine-Canada border, and extended to Miami. Here, many towns were based around the highway—Baltimore, D.C., and the whole metro area. Not to mention the many places she had been at with NCIS: Quantico, Anacostia, Dahlgren, even Pax River and Annapolis required some I-95 travel to reach.

So it was no surprise when she saw the sign s for Woodbridge. Granted, she wouldn't have taken it for the home of an Al-Qaeda cell, but it was situated perfectly. Far enough out not to be noticed, but close to the hustle and bustle of the nation's capital and surrounding area.

Kate felt the car stop, and she was pushed roughly out. She glared indignantly at the man who had pushed her, but soon froze at a sound.

"I thought I told you to handle our Caitlyn carefully."

Now, she was finally face to face with Ari Haswari.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

She lifted her chin to meet his eyes defiantly, but shivered inwardly as he passed them over her. Yes, his eyes were kind. Looking at her as if she was a long-lost friend he was being reunited with.

Kate watched him closely. His eyes flickered and met her own for a split second, then focused on her throat. She felt his gaze on the silver pendant that lay on a chain around her neck, and she saw him frown.

"Are you mocking me, Caitlyn?" he asked, his voice almost silk-like, as he stood mesmerized by the jewelry. Kate covered the butterfly pendant with her hand. His one bete noir.

"You have not spoken to me yet, Caitlyn. I have missed your delightful company."

"Perhaps you will get much more of it." She spoke with a half-earnest smile.

"Oh, I mean to. I can't trust you with my men, Caitlyn. I'm afraid you are smarter than them."

"Is that why you've so often failed in getting what you want from me?"

Haswari smiled, in an annoyed way, like an adult to a small child who wants attention. He moved his head closer to her face, until she could feel his breath. "It's not what I want from _you_. Its what I want to _do_ to you to get what I want from Gibbs."

"You aren't getting anything about Gibbs from me—he's a closed book."

"Mmm. A typical Marine, yes? Which reminds me, I need to wish Gibbs a happy birthday of the Marine Corps. Semper Fi! A great, strong motto. Much like one I have. Except," and he drew back from her, and took her arm, "My goal is very different." He led her towards the entrance.

Kate laughed scornfully. " 'To fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean'? I can't compare you to the Corps, Ari—especially on the honor part."

His jaw tightened in anger, but it was the only sign of impatience on his otherwise calm, collected face.

"Well, Caitlyn. I think I'm going to keep you for awhile. I admire your spirit. Maybe some will rub off onto my men, hmm?" and he patted his "man" roughly on the head, led Kate in, and closed the door behind them.

………………………….

"So they think you are dead?" Ari asked, pouring some steaming coffee in a mug and handing it to Kate. She stared into it suspiciously. He took it out of her hands, took a sip, and handed it back to her reassuringly.

"Yes." She warmed her hands on the glass sides of the mug.

"Very clever. You pulled that off extremely well. And what of Agent Dinozzo?

"What about Tony?" Kate asked, heart beating wildly. The terrorist wasn't out to get him, too, was he?

"Well, is he mourning you? Or is he too busy with his 'social life'?"

Kate winced. Haswari definitely knew how to get to people. The man continued "I _have_ talked to your boss. He seems particularly devastated. And you r family—don't you have several young nieces and nephews whom, I'm sure, miss you terribly?"

"Do you know everything about me?" Kate answered grudgingly.

"Oh, no. Not yet. I do want to know one something."

"What's that?"

"Why are you here?"

Kate smiled brightly. "Because you're 'incompetent' men brought me here."

"Why did you want to meet in the first place?"

"I brought you information."

Kate closed her eyes, for a moment, silently praying that this wasn't about to be the worse mistake of her life.

………….

Back in Alexandria, Special Agent Eric Bradsahw cuffed the surviving men, and looked at the dead bodies. A few of his own men lay, but the majority of them were Haswari's men.

Then he realized something. In the commotion he was focused on one thing—to apprehend the terrorists. But now, his mind drifted to the real reason why they had come to this place.

Where was Kate?

He whirled around, eyes watching and heart hoping that she would step forward, safely having hidden herself in some shelter. But his heart couldn't deceive his mind. She wasn't there. They couldn't have taken her…..could they?

He knew they had. The worse fears had come true, and he didn't know what to do now.

Eric grabbed an agent next to him. "Agent Forbes, is there any sign of 8-2-8?"

"No, sir." The agent shook his prisoner roughly. "Let's get them back to headquarters and see if we can get something out of them, sir?"

Bradshaw nodded at him, and headed for his sedan. "You head up everything, Forbes. I want them under the highest security possible. I'll be along later—I've got something to take care of first."

Within the hour, Bradshaw pulled into the paved driveway of a small, split foyer house. He didn't recognize the car that was parked in front of the house, but then there was a lot he had yet to figure out about his boss. Eric's sharp rap was answered by the housekeeper—which meant Fornell was once again in between wives.

"Agent Bradshaw, ma'am. " he flashed his badge. "Is Special Agent Fornell here?"

"He's with some company."

"It's important; I'll wait here."

………………………………….

Timothy McGee's initial shock wore off quicker than that of his boss and teammate. Maybe it was the fact that all along, he had felt this. Maybe he had convinced himself it was true, despite the other two's unbelief.

He watched Gibbs and Dinozzo's reactions carefully. Gibbs, surprisingly, showed more emotion than the younger agent. The boss had turned white—either in rage, or something unidentifiable, Tim mused. Tony, on the other hand, remained set, his face stony. Perhaps he was just paralyzed with shock—but a closer look showed him trembling with some emotion. And unlike Gibbs, this was not one of anger. It was the total opposite emotion.

However, neither man had time to open their mouths or further react, as a tap was heard on the door, and the housekeeper stuck her head in. "An Agent Bradshaw here to see you. Shall I let him in?'

"Perfect timing, " Fornell muttered, as he waved at the housekeeper to allow his agent in.

Bradsahw came in, eyes widening as he recognized Kate's teammates. "Uh…sorry, boss. Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, Bradshaw, you couldn't have come at a better time," Fornell replied sarcastically. In answer to his boss' dry tome, Bradshaw replied dutifully, "Well…..I'll leave you…."

"You might as well stay now, " Fornell sighed before continuing his reply," Since I was just informing these gentlemen that their beloved Agent Todd was alive. I hadn't quite gotten to the part where they find out she's under your experienced and capable protection…but…"

"You have Kate?" Tony spoke for the first time, and it was obvious he was having a hard time controlling himself.

The very "capable" agent gulped.

"Boss, it's why I came…we….we don't have her any more. Boss, the mission failed. Haswari has Agent Todd."

An explosion followed silence.

Gibbs spoke—rather loudly—first. "What is this, Fornell! You call me to tell me you have my agent, and now you say you have lost her to a terrorist? Which is it, Tobias? Do you have Kate or not?"

Tony, too, turned tables. He took Bradshaw by the collar and shook him. "You can't lost a person! How? Tell me how!"

McGee pulled Tony off the FBI agent, and he fell back, subdued.

Fornell spoke lowly. "Tell me everything, Bradshaw. _Now. Everything._

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	20. Chapter Nineteen

This chapter feels really really slow to me…but you know how it is when you've read something so many times—so it might be me getting bored with it. I'm trying to pick up the action a little.

Don't know how long it will be before I get more up—we got a dog, and he's requiring a lot more of my already filled up days then I realized! (but its well worth it!)

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Chapter Nineteen

"You're suggesting a joint operation, Tobias? When you weren't even prepared for a minor distraction? For some reason, it seems more plausible that NCIS should handle this case completely." Gibbs spoke sternly.

"Maybe so, but you can't deny you need our intel. Face it, Gibbs, without each other, nothing is going to happen."

Gibbs was silent for a few minutes. As much as he hated to admit it, Tobias _was_ right. "Okay," he said slowly, "But we head up everything."

Fornell nodded. "That's the way it should be."

Gibbs reached to switch the elevator back on. The doors opened at the floor of the bullpen, and the men stepped out.

Bradshaw, Dinozzo, and McGee looked up immediately, obviously having been waiting impatiently for their respective bosses.

Gibbs could feel the tension-primarily between Agent Bradshaw and Agent Dinozzo. It hung over them like a full cloud—just waiting to rain. Gibbs knew it was only a matter of time before one of them burst. And it would probably Tony.

He knew Tony had a reason for being miffed with Eric. This wasn't just another agent they were talking about—it was _Kate_. And as much as he himself was angered at the FBI's not allowing him on a case that was rightfully his, right now, they could only concentrate on finding her.

There would be plenty of time for fistfights later.

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs barked. Not that that was unusual, of course.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Take Bradshaw back to the scene. I want all forensics to be handled by Abbs."

"I can provide some technicians, also." Fornell put in, but Gibbs stopped him.

"She can handle it."

Tony shot Bradshaw a dirty look. "Do I have to take him? Don't you think McGee would be a better—" Tony closed his mouth, knowing there was no use. He also knew his boss was placing him with the FBI agent purely so that Tony would discover the truth.

McGee, who had looked hopeful at the suggestion of going with Dinozzo, now looked to his boss for orders. Gibbs stared at Tim long and hard. Seeing the face of earnest, honesty, and the desire that drove them all—to bring their agent back—on his face, he spoke.

"Have I ever let you interrogate a terrorist before, McGee?"

Tony, who was grabbing his gear and the keys to the truck, glanced up sharply. "What did Probie do to get such honors, boss?" When there was no answer, but a hard look, he finished lamely, turning to Eric; "I'm driving—and no ifs, ands, or buts!"

Bradshaw nodded. Was Special Agent Dinozzo always like this, or was it just the fact that Tony really hated him?

……………………………..

"You know, we have ways of making people talk." McGee tried saying sternly and forebodingly, while practicing a stony Gibbs-like face in the reflection of the glass. He sighed—forget the bad cop thing. He was making himself look like an idiot.

"Are you done making faces at yourself, yet, McGee?" Tim hadn't heard Gibbs come in, but he now heard Fornell's muffled chuckling.

"Uh, boss….I really don't know if I can do….."

"Sure you can; now c'mon! Interrogation Number 1, first." Gibbs interrupted, clapping McGee lightly on the back.

McGee followed Gibbs into the small interrogation room, where a middle-aged man sat stiffly, handcuffed to the table. Gibbs leaned against the back wall, and nodded at McGee.

Gibbs smiled inwardly as he watched McGee move towards the table hesitatingly. They had really done a great job with the young man. Gibbs couldn't deny he was looking forward to this scene, no matter how worried Tim looked.

"Remember what you said. You were right all along." Gibbs whispered to McGee's back.

He saw it straighten, and caught a glimpse of the fire in McGee's eyes when he turned to face his prisoner.

…………………………

Tony gripped the wheel tightly.

Bradshaw shot him a side-glance. The stifling tension in the sedan was going to suffocate him.

Not that he didn't understand why Dinozzo remained this way towards him. He had felt the same way sometimes. He had harbored those same feelings when his Heather was lost. Only she hadn't come back to him. H e knew he had to make sure that didn't happen to Kate. Not only for herself, but for Tony and the rest of the team as well.

Bradshaw cleared his throat. Tony did not look at him, or, in fact, no way acknowledge the agent.

But Eric was brave enough to speak, even if Tony could be a terror when angered, in a silent but deep way. He _was_ getting to be more and more like Gibbs everyday.

"You know Kate tried to call you once?"

Tony grunted, but Eric didn't know whether that was a yes or no. Bradshaw decided to try again. It could either soften Tony or make it worse. "She talked about you a lot."

Tony abruptly pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road.

Apparently, Special Agent Eric Bradshaw had just made things a whole lot worse.

Tony gripped the back of the seat and looked at Eric hard. His voice was quiet, but powerful—in an almost deadly kind of way. "Listen to me. I don't want anything to do with you. Don't try to use Kate to butter _me_ up. I'm with you strictly because we need you. But I _don't_ have to like you. Understood?"

Bradshaw nodded, and turned to his window. It was going to be a hard, long day.

…………………………………….

The man sat rigidly, as McGee questioned him. He had not yet spoken a word, and Timothy McGee was beginning to think that his first interrogation was going to be a waste of time. He should have gone with Dinozzo. At least he could be accomplishing something with him.

McGee shot a look at Gibbs. Surprisingly, Gibbs seemed to be enjoying himself, waiting patiently for results. Quitting now would not make his boss happy, McGee realized. His boss wanted, for whatever reason, to see this done.

Hopefully, he would get something out of this robotic person.

"What are your connections to Ari Haswari?" even as he spoke he saw Gibbs shake his head in the reflection in the glass. He was going about this the wrong way.

Time to pull out everything he had learned while observing Gibbs.

He approached the man calmly—but heart not so collected—and bent over him from behind. He placed his mouth above the man's ear and whispered. When he straightened up, he saw Gibbs' look of approval. Tim tired not to smile—but he could not help but feeling proud of himself when he, several minutes later, walked out of Interrogation Room Number One, with just the answers he needed.


	21. Chapter Twenty

Eeek! I can't believe how long it's been! I've missed doing this! I am planning on finishing this one, but if I want to start another fic, I promise I will wait until I get a reliable computer.

I'm not too pleased with this chapter. I think action/adventure isn't my thing, I'll do better once I get back into the romance/tragedy/angst whatever mode! (which will be coming soon)

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Chapter Twenty

"So, you were right here?" At least Tony asked him civilly. Eric nodded. They both overstepped the crime scene units who were bagging ammo casings. Tony took one of the investigators by the arm.

"These all go back to our lab, right?" Tony waited for the man to answer, then took some gloves out of his front pocket. He tossed a pair to Bradshaw, and pulled his own on.

"C'mon. We need to find exactly where she was."

Eric watched Tony, who was pretty much walking around in circles pretending to _not_ be aimless. However, Bradshaw knew that Dinozzo had no clue what to do—he just had to do something.

Or maybe he was wrong, Eric decided to himself, when he saw Tony bend down close to the ground, obviously examining something important. Bradshaw saw it, too, and couldn't contain his enthusiasm when he lightly patted Tony on the back. "Great eyes!" he exclaimed. Probably wasn't the best thing to do, so, upon seeing Tony's look of don't tell-me-good-eyes, he quickly changed the subject. "Must have been quite a struggle. Todd wouldn't part with her PDA easily."

That actually caused Agent Dinozzo to laugh. "Yeah, isn't that true? It's like her pet or something." He looked thoughtful for a minute." Maybe she dropped it on purpose; for us."

"It's possible, I guess."

"Good girl," Tony whispered, then pulled aside one of the men collecting evidence from the scene. "Can I get you to swab this blood ASAP?"

……………………………..

Abby Sciuto eyed Agent Bradshaw suspiciously. He in turn wondered if he was going to get the cold shoulder from everyone. It didn't last long, however, as she brightened when she turned towards Dinozzo.

"Good news for us, Tony." She announced.

"You gonna tell me?"

"Sure, if you'll help me out here. I'm up to my pigtails in work."

"Abbs…"

"Okay. You want the blood sample? Or the prints on the PDA?"

"How about the prints?" Tony asked.

"Okay, we've got two sets. One is a match to Kate, of course. And the other—I'm running them through AFIS now." Abby turned towards the screen, as a pop up flashed "match found".

"Alonzo Fioli," she read, "Caught by Border Patrol in 1995. Became a citizen the following year, however. Six months later arrested for drug possession. Released on bail, involved in a Mafia-related riot and spent six year in correctional facilities. Suspected to continue involvement with Mafia."

"Wow. Nice work, Abbs." Tony hugged her with one arm, "Last known address?"

" 828 Harmony Rd, Arlington, Virginia!" she spun around in her chair, and watched Tony and Eric race out of the lab.

"You didn't even ask about the blood samples," she pouted.

……………………………..

Tony placed a hand at this mid stomach, just above the Sig Sauer he wore. It seemed someone was home, he thought, as he heard pounding steps and a high laugh. He though he glimpsed a small face in the window, and an older one. The older one saw him, and pulled the small one away from the window, but when Tony showed his badge, the door flew open.

A small boy, perhaps not quite two, clung to the older girl, who appeared somewhere in her mid teens. Her dark hair fell to her waist, in contrast to the little blond toddler whom she scooped up.

"Yes?" her voice had only a hint of an accent. She viewed them suspiciously, when Tony said, "We're looking for Mr. Fioli." He then flashed her his most charming smile, and she motioned for them to enter.

He grinned. It worked every time with a XX chromosome. No matter what the age.

"What's my brother done this time?" She asked.

Tony and Eric exchanged glances. "We can't tell you right now, but we do need to know where to find him."

The young girl, who now introduced her self as Sydney, sighed. "I don't know. He's been gone since Thursday. But, he has disappeared for weeks at a time before."

"You live here alone?" Eric asked, surprised.

She nodded. "Our parents are dead, and his wife…well…anyway….I get to take care of my nephew."

Sydney hugged the little boy closely.

Tony spoke causally. "So, tell me Syd, how would you feel if we found a place for you and your nephew to stay for a little while?"

Sydney glared at him. "I can take care of myself."

Tony looked around. Both of the kids were clean, the house was spotless, and they looked well. She really could.

Eric was about to speak, when the doorbell rang. Syd stood up, but Tony raised his hand identifying through the window Alonzo Fioli.

He allowed the girl to get the door, but as the man swung up his son, who laughed gleefully, Tony reached for his weapon.

"Put the kid down slowly and freeze."

……………………………

Eric had contacted CPS, while Tony transferred Fioli to NCIS, where Gibbs waited, feeling his interrogation rooms should be kept warm these days.

"Where is Caitlyn Todd?"

"I don't know who you are talking about." Fioli replied sullenly.

"Perhaps this will help you." Gibbs slammed Kate's picture in front of him.

Fioli remained silent for a few minutes. "He's probably killed her—or worse—already. Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because it's the only chance you have. You've got a record, and you aren't going to escape this one. Not with your involvement. Your last chance. How about this—what do you want your son to grow up with—knowing Daddy was executed for plans to kill hundreds of innocent people, or to keep contact with him in prison?"

The man did not budge at all.

Tony saw Gibbs nod at him, and he exited, and headed downstairs to the lab. Abby looked up at him as he entered.

"Hey, Tony."

"Hey, Abbs. Listen, can we get you to do a really big something."

"Talk."

As he told her, Abby's eyes widened.

"Wow, Tony, you really did mean big!"

…………………………………..

Fornell strolled in confidently. "What did you get out of Fioli?"

Gibbs peered at him over his computer monitor. "We let him go."

"You what! You had no reason to do that! C'mon, Gibbs, you had enough on him with the prints alone!"

Gibbs half-grinned. "Yeah, but he can't find Agent Todd with the prints."

Fornell stared at Gibbs before he realized what Gibbs was saying. "You have a tracking device in him." He states.

"Put in by Abby herself."

"You don't give up easily, do you, Jethro?" Fornell laughed.


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

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Chapter Twenty-One

"So far, he's spent the most time at two places," McGee told his audience of three: Tony, Gibbs, and Fornell, "One's a bar in Chantilly, the other is a three square mile section of Woodbridge.

"Good work, McGee," Gibbs said. "I want you to check it out."

"Me?" McGee gulped.

"Sure, Probie," Tony grinned. "If they caught you, they'd never guess you were a federal _agent_!"

"Gee, thanks, Tony." He replied dryly.

Gibbs interrupted the banter. "See anything, you call us in. You understand?"

Tim nodded. "I'll take the sedan."

………………………………

McGee had left the sedan at the police station in Woodbridge, and hiked the two miles to what appeared to be an old 19th century brick home. It seemed to be a family's home—with the rusting playset off the side and the minivan parked in the long, winding driveway.

However, the house was missing the laughing, happy family.

An eerie feeling came over McGee as he held the binoculars to his eyes and focused and waited. For whatever came.

He was about to give up when the side door opened. Two men stepped out; they were about to leave when the door opened again. Another man came out, stopped, and gave the two whispered orders. McGee had a chance to focus on his face before he turned his back. He immediately recognized the face.

Tim reached for his cell phone. "Boss, we need a SWAT team out here immediately. I've got a positive id on Ari."

……………………..

Tony threw the bulletproof vest on, while holding on to the side of the van, bracing himself as Gibbs turned a corner none too gently. The white letters that spelled "police" reflected the sun as he loaded his weapon carefully. Eric and Fornell were next to him, each preparing themselves for one of the hardest operations of their careers as LEO's.

McGee met them at the station, and they were followed shortly by the SWAT team. Gibbs gave hurried instructions to the men. "Remember, there is possibly a federal agent inside. And I want Haswari alive."

Within minutes, they had stealthily surrounded the house. However, before they could act, a volley of shots came out of several of the windows. The agents took cover while returning fire.

Tony fired his weapon, aiming towards a second story window, where the bullets had been coming rapidly. They soon stopped, and Tony, who was crouched behind the van, peered out. A bullet whizzed by his nose, scraping against the vehicle and taking some paint with it. Dinozzo immediately flattened himself against the trunk. He spotted Agent Bradshaw, who in turn caught his eyes. Bradshaw gave a nod, and leapt out from behind the shed, firing randomly at the windows. The time between the shots slackened, as Bradshaw obviously hit someone. He had almost reached the van to crouch by Tony, when a bullet slammed into his chest. Tony could see that it was caught in his vest, and it was just the force that sent Eric to the ground.

Tony took the situation into his own hands. He could almost reach Eric to pull him to safety. His only problem—could he dodge the bullets and save the agent? Swiftly, he stepped forward, grabbing Eric's leg. He pulled hard, and Eric was almost safe—and then a bullet struck Agent Bradshaw's head.

Tony yanked harder, but once they were both behind the shelter, he knew that there was nothing he could do for the wounded agent. He bent over him, and saw a trickle of blood flow from the corner of his mouth.

Eric struggled to talk. "I tried….to keep….." he breathed heavily between the words "…..her safe…for you…..go…you …go…find..her." Bradshaw closed his eyes, and Tony checked for vital signs. Eric was dead.

Dinozzo stared at him a moment. Eric had tried so hard.

"Thanks for taking care of her for me, partner," Tony whispered, touching Eric's forehead in a final goodbye and apology.

He hadn't noticed Gibbs' leaping across to him. When he finally saw Gibbs looking down at both of them gravely, he lifted his head. Looking around, he took a head count, then froze.

"Boss, where is Probie!" he asked, alarmed.

Gibbs scanned the area.

McGee was not in sight.

……………………………..

He had seen Bradshaw fall. He had seen the focus of the terrorists on the very falling. And Timothy McGee knew this was his chance—and he took it.

Unnoticed, he crept to the side of the brick mansion. Flattening himself against the cement steps that led to the side door, he gingerly reached for the door. Locked. Of course, these men weren't amateurs, he mentally chided himself. He glanced around; the bullets were flying again. Sorry, Gibbs, he thought to himself, no time to pick the lock this time. He aimed his Sig, clasped tightly in his hand, at the door, and shot at the lock.

Just as he expected, someone heard the door burst open, and came running to the door, weapon drawn. McGee quickly diminished this threat with four swift rounds in the chest. He overstepped the body, on guard and prepared to fight.

It was like that at times like these. You were ready to fight for that one person with no regard to your own safety. Which may be what always saved them—having not the time to focus on their own predicaments.

No other faces appeared, thanks to the silencer on McGee's firearm. He took another step, now unsure of the right thing to do. Should he hunt down Haswari, and put the bullet in him that he deserved, or find Kate? If anything he had learned over the past few weeks, it was to trust his gut. And his gut was not only telling him to find Kate, but to take the door directly in front of him.

He shut the door as quietly as he could behind him. Ahead lay a steep staircase.

McGee spotted her immediately, but was forced to turn his attention to the two armed men who seemed to be guarding her. They hadn't spotted him yet. He took the opportunity to fire at one of the guards. He fell, and the other's eyes had only a second to focus on McGee before he lay lifeless, as well.

McGee simply stared at Kate. She looked well, almost radiant. What he didn't know was that it was because of him. It was the best she had felt and looked in weeks.

"Are you going to stand there the _whole_ time, McGee?" Her words were accompanied with a smile.

He stuck out his hand to help her up.

McGee's mind was whirling. Hadn't he said if he had to himself, he would find her? He'd done it. And even more important than his satisfaction. Caitlyn Todd was with them once more.

Footsteps pounded down the steps. McGee twirled around, ready for action.

"Good heavens, Agent McGee, get that gun off me!" Fornell exclaimed.

McGee sighed in relief.

"Todd," Fornell acknowledged the agent. "We've got everything under control upstairs. It's safe to bring her up now."

"Haswari?" McGee's face brightened.

Fornell didn't answer at first. "We can't find trace of hi—"

Kate interrupted Fornell. "When you released Fioli, he suspected something. Ari disappeared earlier."

McGee nodded. For some reason, it didn't really matter to him anymore.

Kate squinted her eyes when she stepped outside; growing accustomed to the bright light.

When opened them, she didn't see the many SWAT men, or the FBI agents, or the hostages and dead. Instead, she saw only one thing: her team.

McGee placed a hand on her shoulder and led her towards Tony and Gibbs. Tony had his back turned, having a heated discussion with a SWAT member. He turned around, and met Kate's eyes.

The grin disappeared from her face, and she blinked several times, before burying her head in Tony's chest. Dinozzo gingerly placed an arm around her. He met McGee's eyes over her head. McGee nodded at him, as if to say, "We've done our part. You are the only one who can do anything for her now."

"Thank you." Tony mouthed the words to McGee, who replied with a look of understanding.

He felt his shirt grow wet where Kate's head rested. She was crying. McGee watched curiously, marveling at how strong she could be one minute, yet the next an emotional wreck.

Kate soon recovered herself, however, and pulled away from Tony almost ashamedly. She wouldn't look at him, but turned towards the fallen body of Bradshaw. She stared at him for a moment. Tony watched her carefully. She bit her lip, fighting for control, and turned back to Gibbs.

"Ari got away." She stated hollowly.

Gibbs nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. He then took her hand and placed something in it.

Kate looked down and opened her palm. Her badge.

McGee laid her sig in her other hand, and she placed both at her waist.

Tony slung an arm around Kate and McGee's shoulders.

"C'mon, guys, we could call this one a day."

A/N And I could just end it right there…right? Wrong! I've got a little bit more things that need to be cleared up, some stuff to dive deeper in to, and a little bit more conflict to resolve (aka Kibbs or Tate?)


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

-1Chapter Twenty-Two

Kate checked her answering machine messages.

"Hey, Kate, it's me. Was wondering if you wanted a ride to work tomorrow--"

Kate shook her head as Tony continued to ramble. Tomorrow was supposed to be her first day back at NCIS after a short leave. And she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Yeah, she craved going back to a normal life, to her job and normal routine. But, she thought, as she fingered her badge, fingers tracing the letters thoughtfully, it was hard to know how she could ever go back to that life.

"--anyway, call me back when you get a chance." Tony finished. Kate picked up her phone, and dialed Tony's number.

"Dinozzo."

"It's Kate."

"Oh, hey. You get my message?"

"Yes."

"You want me to pick you up?"

Kate paused before answering. "Tony, I don't know how to say this….but, I think I'm giving Gibbs my resignation."

There was no answer for what seemed forever. Then Tony spoke, his voice strangely quiet. "Kate, why don't I come over now? I'll take you out for coffee; we can talk about this?"

………………………

Kate answered her door, and found Tony waiting patiently on the step.

"Hey," he greeted.

"You can come in while I get my coat," Kate offered, and Tony stepped in, and looked around curiously. Kate laughed. "I know, it's kind of bare. My parents offered for me to stay with them until my old place is repaired….but, I kind of needed to get away from all their questioning."

Tony smiled lightly. "Really? You mean they are actually surprised that you are alive?"

"Oh, you have no idea. Out of state family called about every five minutes to hear my voice and make sure it wasn't a hoax; everyone wants to stop by and convince themselves I'm real. And the whole if-I-told-you-I'd-have-to-kill-you line really does not satisfy people. All except Great-Aunt Ruby. She is too busy telling me 'it's too bad, really, my dear. It was such a lovely service. And closed-casket. What a shame--you would have been a beautiful corpse.'"

They both laughed a t Kate's imitating her aunt, as she buttoned her long coat up. Tony offered his arm and she gave him a quizzical look. It was when he opened her side of the car that she spoke. "Tony, do you want something, or are you just being nice to me for no reason?"

Tony tilted his head and raised one eyebrow. "Oh, I always have a n ulterior motive, Katie." he said in his old teasing voice.

Kate let the "Katie" slip by, but she shook her head as she settled into the seat of Tony's car.

"So you _did_ get a new car?"

Tony patted the steering wheel fondly. "Mmm-hmm. After that maniac stole and wrecked my old one….well, it got kind of humiliating riding with Probie everyday."

"Oh, c'mon, Tony, his car isn't _that_ bad."

"True, if you are Henry Ford.."

Kate rolled her eyes.

Tony pulled the car into a space in front of a little coffeehouse with a deck over the Potomac River. Kate was almost a little disappointed they had already arrived. The banted felt so normal, and they hadn't even touched the issue of Kate leaving NCIS. However, she knew that Tony would bring it up soon. Especially when he chose a table in a secluded corner.

Kate looked around. "You know all the places to go to in town, don't you?"

"I hate taking a girl to the same place twice," he winked in answer.

"Hmmm. I should have known. Is it you playing your rich-boy-grew-up-going-to-every-place-imaginable card again?"

"Ouch, Kate." Tony smiled.

The young waitress brought their coffee. Tony reached for a packet of sugar , and while stirring it in, spoke. "So you are really leaving?" He wouldn't look at Kate, but continued to stir his coffee.

Kate warmed her hands on her mug. "I don't think I _can_ come back."

He then looked up. He had the tip of his spoon on his lower lip, staring thoughtfully at her. Now it was Kate's turn to look away. She focused her attention on the toddler in the booth across from them, not wanting to see the questions in her partner's eyes.

"Why, Katie?"

"Why do you think, Tony?"

"Don't be a coward, Kate! Don't let this stop you from doing what you have to!" Tony stopped, when he saw Kate wince at his anger. "Listen, I'm sorry, Kate. But you _can't_ go. We need you."

"Well, I'd like to think I'm the brains behind our team, but you seemed to do well without me. After all, you did find me!"

Tony did not smile at her light words. His eyes gazed across at hers seriously. We _barely_ did 'well'. Yes, we found you, but that was because we were fighting for _you_. Kate, I don't know what we would have done when it finally hit us you weren't coming back. I wouldn't have been able to face the day. I wouldn't have been able to face _life_. It would have been over for me, Kate."

He was looking at her so earnestly that she felt tears tugging at the corners of her eyes. She fought to control her emotion. Tony continued, "Come back, Kate. For our team. For me. For another chance to bring justice to Haswari."

Kate smiled sadly at his last words. "We are never going to get him, Tony."

"Sure we are, Kate."

"He's smarter than us." Something about the way she so desperately spoke the words made Tony reach across the table and squeeze her hand gently. Neither spoke for a few minutes, until Kate looked up. "So I guess Gibbs is still seething over Fornell's keeping all this from him."

"Well, you know, if you rearrange the letters of FBI, you get 'fib'."

Kate laughed, and Tony continued charmingly. "And, if you rearrange NCIS, take the 's' off, add an 'e'---"

"and pretty much respell the word completely," Kate interrupted.

"--you get the word 'nice'!

"Nice isn't exactly the word I' use to describe Gibbs," Kate commented.

Tony paid for the coffee, and soon the two were walking along the river, the Washington wind blowing steadily. Behind the, the dome of the Capitol lay; the Washington Monument towered over them; and the blue sky which was once grey with the smoke of the smoldering Pentagon stretched from horizon to horizon.

"Its not just Haswari, is it?" asked Tony suddenly.

"What?"

"You aren't just afraid we'll never catch him, are you? There's something else to it?" They said Haswari had never hurt him, Tony thought. But he had hurt Kate. Was there any difference?

Kate answered slowly. "I admit, he terrifies me."

"Wow. A bit of truth from the hard hearted, hard to read Caitlyn Todd?"

"Okay, fine. You want the truth? The truth is, I can't walk in that building every day, knowing the only reason I'm there is because several people gave their life for me to continue mine. It was one thing, if they had died for a cause. But they didn't. They died for no reason. _I_ failed. Failed everything. Sure, we made a couple of random arrests, but we did not capture Haswari. We did not foil any great attack. We simply let people die. Eric…and Heather…What kind of agent am I? I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."

Tony took Kate's shoulders and shook her gently. "Listen to yourself! You are one of the best; yes, Bradsahw and the girl died. Yes, we did not accomplish our main goal. But we _did_ make those 'random arrests'. And they will lead to something, I promise you that. We will never let any agent, whether NCIS, or CID, or FBI, die in vain."

Kate continued, seeming not to hear his reassuring words. "And, as selfish as this sounds, I don't know about _me. _I'm so used to being the cop, not the victim. I don't know how I'll deal with that. I got close to our vics before, now what will it be like? Can I handle objectivness? " her voice cracked, " Can I handle watching other people suffer when we _can't_ help them? I don't know, Tony."

Tears were falling down her face freely now, and Tony, who still gripped her shoulders, drew her into a friendly hug. He stroked her hair. "Its going to be all right, Katie. You are going to be fine." he whispered.


End file.
